


oh simple thing, where have you gone?

by MrsNoraPalmer



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, HS AU, High School AU, and it'll all be before winter break for them, but my brain can't think of them all right now, i have lots planned, i hope you all like longer chapters, i'm probably missing other characters, not sure how long this will be either, so who knows how long this will be, soft teenage darhkatom, those are definitely the main ones
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-10
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2019-10-07 14:51:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 46,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17367950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsNoraPalmer/pseuds/MrsNoraPalmer
Summary: Nora Darhk returns to Star City four years after the brutal murder of her parents. She was bounced around the foster system for her safety after mob ties came to light. Now she's entering her senior year of high school, expecting to spend it alone. Ray Palmer lost his best friend four years ago and hasn't quite been the same ever since, no one could quite fill the void Nora left. Now the pair are reunited on the first day of their senior year and while Nora is happy to have her best friend back she has her reservations. As she makes new friends and rebuilds relationships with old ones she slowly realizes that this might not be a bad senior year at all. It might just be the best year of her life.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At long last! Here is the high school au I've talked probably too much about on tumblr. Many many many thanks to soph, beth, dee, and el for all test running parts of this universe before I publish it to the world! Y'all are the best!

The drive to school had been as equally quiet as their bedroom the night before. She could tell Sara still didn’t like her much, maybe she’d get an answer of exactly why out of her eventually but she could tell. It would probably be why she would spend the entire school year alone, coasting through her classes until she graduated and could leave this place of her own accord. Maybe go to college, get far away from here. For the last four years Nora had wanted to be back in Star City more than anything, but now that she was, she wanted to be anywhere but here.

Nora exited the car once Sara parked and Sara waved at some friends of hers and caught up with them. Nora quietly shut the door and made her way through the sea of people coming into school from the parking lot. There were stares. She knew people recognized her. She hadn’t changed much in four years. Her features had matured, she’d only grown an inch, but she was still unmistakably Nora Darhk, daughter of Damien Darhk and Ruve Adams, affiliated with one of the most ruthless crime families in all of Star City.

She made her way to her locker, trying to not make direct eye contact with anyone until she slammed right into the hard chest of someone several inches taller than her. Nora’s cheeks flushed red, embarrassed that she probably had drawn an audience in her blunder. She looked around and hadn’t seen people paying any more attention to her than they already had and then finally looked up at the person she had bumped into and her heart stopped.

He’d grown a few inches, clearly, but there was no mistaking his kind brown eyes, well kept black hair, charming smile, and soft features.

Raymond Carson Palmer stood before her, smiling at her. The first smile she’d been given since walking through the doors of Star City High School.

“Nora!” He breathed, his volume barely matched his excitement, probably so it wouldn’t draw any more attention to her. “You’re back!”

Nora forced a smile, not sure how to greet her ex childhood best friend. “Hey, Ray… yeah I live with… I live with the Lance’s now. I just got back to town.”

“That’s great, I’ve missed you, Nora!” He wanted to hug her, make more contact with her than when she accidentally bumped into him moments before. He maneuvered them over to the lockers so they weren’t standing in the middle of the hallway.

Nora wanted to admit how much she missed him over the last four years, how a day didn’t go by that she didn’t remember playing knights and princesses with him in his backyard or when she’d sneak in through his bedroom window late at night when her parents were acting crazy and she felt unsafe. They had codenames, not very creative ones but he was Sir Raymond, she was Princess Nora and she would always say she needed to get away from the dragons guarding her.

“It’s nice to see you, Ray, umm I should be getting to my first period.”

“Yeah, of course I’m so sorry, hey wait we should see if we have any classes together!”

Nora really wasn’t expecting him to keep trying this whole friendship thing with her again. She looked back up at him and sighed. “I really gotta get to Calc, I’m sorry, Ray.” She pushed past him and hurried down the hall to the math wing before the bell rang.

She was thankful the first few days were just going to be syllabus days, she could check out, talk very little, not expect to be called on, just go through the motions. Finally, the bell rang, and Nora tried to hold herself back from completely beelining out the door to her next class. She shuffled out with the rest of the students, ignoring the whispers about her being _that Nora Darhk_ and _yeah her parents were killed by a hitman_. English was up next, an easy subject for her at least. She could bury her nose in a book the whole semester and no one would try to say anything to her.

When she walked in, she took a seat in the back much like she had in Calculus and sighed. She closed her eyes and tried to take in deep breaths, _come on Nora, you have four more classes to get through. Just one more until lunch and then three after._ She opened her eyes and felt someone staring at her. Not surprising. She looked over and nearly jumped when she realized how close the person was standing. She clutched her chest and looked up at them.

“Can I help you?” She asked.

“You’re Nora, right?” They brightly asked and sat down at a desk a row over and one up from her. “I think I remember you from middle school! I don’t know if you remember me but I thought you were like _the coolest_ I’m Mona in case you didn’t!” Mona held out her hand.

The name now put with the face sounded vaguely familiar but she awkwardly shook Mona’s hand, unsure about this girl’s sunny disposition. Was she feeling okay? Did she know who she was talking to?

“So! Word on the street is you just moved back to town!”

Nora nodded slowly. “Yeah… do you know why I left?”

Mona shrugged. “I mean like people talk and your parents did bad stuff, but you didn’t. I’m sorry about them by the way.”

It was the first time that someone, other than Ray and the spades of people who gave her obligation sympathies had said they were sorry her parents weren’t around anymore. They did terrible things but they were still her parents and she was now an orphan because they weren’t around.

“Umm thanks, sorry I just…”

“Nora!” Ray’s sunny voice filled her ears and she looked up to see Ray walking into the classroom, with a lot of pep in his step. “Hey! You have English with Hunter too?”

Nora slowly nodded. “Yeah… I guess so.”

“Hey, Ray!” Mona waved at Ray and he waved back. He took the seat behind Mona, making him sit directly in the row next to Nora.

“Hey, Mona, how was your summer?”

“Oh you know, same old, same old, I worked at that summer camp that helped rehab animals and hung out with my parents mostly. I didn’t know you two knew each other!”

Nora glanced over at Ray but avoided direct eye contact.

“Yeah… she grew up two houses down from me.” Ray glanced over at Nora. “We were best friends.”

The ‘best friend’ declaration made Nora’s stomach suddenly uneasy. She wasn’t sure if she could do this, be in such close proximity to Ray. She could handle people being cold and callous towards her but Mona’s and Ray’s immediate kindness was almost too much for her.

Nora retreated inward and was thankful the bell finally rang, signally the start of class.

When English ended, she tried to make a swifter exit, not wanting to get caught by Mona or Ray but Ray caught her arm as she was passing his seat and moving towards the door.

“Hey, I’m sorry if telling Mona I knew you made you uncomfortable. I just… I know today is probably hard for you and if you need a friend I’m here.”

“Ray, it’s been four years, you really think we can just pick back up our friendship as if nothing has happened? Everything has happened.”

“I think we can, and if you don’t think we can, come over to my house after school and we can talk. Catch up. We used to be able to tell each other everything.”

Nora wanted to rip her arm away, say no, storm off, never speak to him again, but she took one look into his brown eyes and saw the adorable little boy he used to be and she just _couldn’t_ be angry with him. So, that was how she found herself saying, “okay.”

xxxx

His house was exactly like she remembered it. Pictures had been added in the four years of him and Sydney as they aged, freshman through junior year school photos all lined a table and looking at the ones of Ray (because she could tell the fraternal twins apart, they always looked more like brothers than twins) it was like she was getting a piece of him back that she missed out on the last four years.

“Do you want to go to my room or sit out here or?...”

“I haven’t been in your room in forever… the last time was…” the memory nearly knocked her off her feet.

xxxx

_“Do you think we can make it to where we have ALL the same classes?” Nora asked and laid in one direction on his bed and Ray laid with his feet at the head of the bed down so their faces were next to each other._

_Ray nodded. “That would be the best! I’m sure we could figure it out.”_

_“Do you already have your first day of school outfit picked out?”_

_“Not yet, my mom is taking me and Syd shopping on Saturday. You?”_

_“Yeah, it’s that dress I found at the mall last week, the one with the sunflowers!”_

_“You looked really pretty in that.” They shared a look, awkward longing at best and broke eye contact and resumed staring at the ceiling._

_“I’m sure as high school goes on though we’ll have less and less classes together cause you’ll be mister smarty pants AP science.”_

_“I don’t have to be. Those classes are just good if you want college credit, not because it means I’m smarter. You’re wicked smart, Nora, I’m sure you’d do well in any class.”_

_“Yeah but you know me, I’d rather hang out in the art room or the library any day.” She smiled. “You’ll be the one that like takes over the world one day with your tech!”_

_“Not true, I’d like to make it a better place and if technology can help, then so be it.” He sat up and so did she. “I’ve always wanted to make the world a safer place for the people I care about.” He smiled and took her hand._

_Nora knew he meant her parents. Making the world safe from people like them. She also knew he included her in that list of people that he wanted to protect. She hugged him and cupped his face. “You’re an amazing friend, Ray Palmer.”_

_“So are you, Nora Darhk.” He grinned. He was about to say something else when her eyes widened. “What?”_

_“Crap! It’s quarter after 6 I was supposed to be home for dinner like twenty minutes ago!” She scrambled off his bed and grabbed for her bag. “Hey are we still on for the movies tomorrow?”_

_“For sure!” He grinned. “I can’t wait!”_

_Nora grinned and hugged him goodbye, “I’ll see you later, Ray!” She scurried through the house and yelled a goodbye to his mom before disappearing out the front door, not realizing it would be the last time she would be in the house for the next four years._

xxxx

“Yeah… I’m sorry, if being back here is too painful we could go to that pizza place we used to hang out at.”

“Papa Joe’s! I haven’t been there in forever, but umm a lot of people from school probably hang out there don’t they?” She watched him nod. “I’d really like to not be under a microscope for a little while longer, so going to your room is fine.”

His room hadn’t changed much either. He still had his twin bed right across from the door, he had his desk on the opposite side of the room, his decor had matured a bit but not by much, still science-y as ever. She dropped her backpack and they sat on his bed. She tucked her legs under her and she could tell he was anxious.

Nora took his hands in hers and smiled at him. “What’s on your mind?”

“I’m just really happy to see you… after everything… a cop told me that for your safety, I wasn’t allowed to contact you.”

“I know, when I got moved to Central City I wanted to call you but they told me no one was allowed to contact me from my old life and I couldn’t contact them.”

“I’m sorry, I should’ve found a way…” he shook his head, close to tears.

“Hey, no, look at me, Ray.” She pulled his face to meet hers. “It’s okay. These last four years have been the epitome of not okay but I haven’t hated you at any point’. I’ve missed you too. I’m sorry I was cold this morning. I just… everyone else seems to not be that thrilled that I’m back so I just put my guard up.”

“I’m more than thrilled that you’re back! You’re my best friend, Nora, and as long as you’ll have me I’ll always be here for you.”

Nora sat back on her heels and put her hands in her lap. She couldn’t believe Ray’s kindness. She shouldn’t be surprised given that she grew up with it but really? _After all this time?_ “Ray, I don’t deserve that. You don’t know what kind of person I am after four years.”

“Well, then by all means, please enlighten me.” He smiled. “Because I still see the kind and strong girl who would boss me and Sydney around in the treehouse. Or the girl that would sing along to musicals with me. Or the girl that would build blanket forts with me in this very room and made a sign that said “No Sydney’s Allowed” in crayon. I know that some terrible stuff has happened but you haven’t let it break you.”

“You don’t know anything about me,” she said, pissed that he was exactly right.

“Don’t I?” He asked.

Nora tried to hide her smile and shook her head. “You suck, Ray Palmer.” She nudged his leg with her foot. “But you’re a good friend. Far more than I deserve but exactly what I needed on a day like today.” She smiled.

They laid there for another hour or so, catching up about life, new interests, Ray’s latest gadgets, Nora’s art projects when Nora heard the front door open down the hall, “your mom?”

“Nah probably Sydney, he’s getting home from soccer practice, mom won’t be home until closer to dinner.”

“Sydney plays soccer? Wait one of you lanky Palmer boys is actually athletic?” Nora couldn’t help but laugh. She always remembered Sydney and Ray as two very uncoordinated all limbs type boys.

“He grew into his limbs a little faster than I did and also wanted to impress a girl so he joined the soccer team.”

Nora let out a loud chuckle. “Oh my gosh, that’s amazing. Is he actually any good?”

“I’ll have you know I scored 5 goals in the last game,” Sydney said from Ray’s doorway. “Nora Darhk as I live and breathe.”

Nora looked over at Sydney. “Hey Syd, sorry but you can’t come in, I forgot to put the ‘No Sydney’s Allowed’ sign up but the rule still stands.”

Sydney shook his head and Nora got up to give Ray’s brother a hug. “So you’re back? For good?”

Nora nodded. “For the next year at least. I live with Sara Lance and her family.”

“Well in that case you better come see me at one of my matches.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Nora high fived Sydney. “Have you been keeping Ray in line? Well actually I suppose it would be out of line. Make him do anything that doesn’t scream Boy Scout?”

“No, unfortunately he’s now an Eagle Scout so your absence I think _made it worse_.” Sydney whispered the last part.

Nora rolled her eyes. “You two are terrible to each other. But I missed you both.” She smiled. “Your mom still work at the hospital?”

Sydney nodded. “Yeah she’s there now, speaking of that,” he looked past Nora to Ray, “mom called me and said to just order pizza she probably won’t be home in time to make anything.”

“I was hoping she could see Nora but I guess that’ll just have to be another time. I’m sure she missed you as much as I did.”

“Hey now, I missed Nora too!” Sydney defended. “But I didn’t spend the rest of the summer crying every day after she left to the point where _Singin in the Rain_ didn’t even help like someone I know.”

Ray glared. “Hey, Syd, shouldn’t you be like taking a shower after soccer practice?”

“Took one in the locker room, I can stand here all night.”

“Why don’t you go order the pizza, then?” Ray gave his brother a _“scram”_ look and Sydney nodded in understanding.

“I’m going to go order the pizza, it was good seeing you, Nora.” Sydney smiled and then walked to find the home phone.

Nora laughed. “You two haven’t changed, at all.” She sat back down on the bed and looked at her phone. “I should probably get going, the Lance’s have dinner at 6 and I’d really like to stay in their good graces.”

“Yeah of course.” Ray couldn’t help but look sad at her leaving. “Hey, wanna come over again tomorrow? Maybe you could stay for dinner? I know my mom would love to see you.”

Nora couldn’t help but smile. “I’d love that.” She picked up her bag and Ray walked her to the door. They stood there in silence for a minute before Nora threw her arms around him in a tight hug. She breathed him in, _god he still smelled the same_ , she thought and held on for dear life.

Ray, now several inches taller than her, picked her up slightly off the floor and held on, hugging her back. _God she still smelled the same_ , he thought. He buried his face in her hair and cupped the back of her head. It felt so good to hug his best friend again. He’d been dying to do this since they bumped into each other that morning. Ray finally sat her back down and Nora smiled up at him.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Ray,” she said and quietly slipped out the front door, backwards so she could still see him and then turned around to walk forward once the door shut.

Ray leaned against the closed front door and Syd smirked once he hung up the phone.

“Four years later and you have it worse than ever, bro.”

“Hey Sydney, shut up.” Ray shook his head and walked into the living room, throwing a pillow at his brother.

“Okay but when she becomes Mrs. Nora Palmer in like a million years you’ll be thanking me!”

Ray’s only reply was a second pillow thrown in Sydney’s face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's chapter one! Chapter two is almost completely finished so it should be up in a day or so! Feel free to yell about darhkatom in general or ask me questions over on my tumblr: noradarhkpalmer or on twitter: marithebookworm


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter two! Chapter three should be up sometime in the next couple of days! Enjoy!

The next night, Nora found herself at Ray’s house again. When she had entered the Lance residence the night before, Sara had asked her where she was, Nora had said none of her business, and Sara had given her a knowing look before Nora proceeded to retreat into her and Sara’s room until dinner.

Nora had met Ava, Sara’s girlfriend and by met she assumed she was Sara’s girlfriend when she had come home and had that conversation with Sara all while Sara was sitting comfortably in a blonde’s lap.

Dinner had been quiet, Detective Lance had asked each of the girls how school went and Sara had made snarky comments which had resulted in a mini-lecture about respect from Detective Lance. She could tell that it was probably Laurel who played buffer between the father and daughter butting heads and Nora was not planning on bonding with the Lance family enough to step into that role.

So now here she was, at Ray’s house, something much more familiar. She could handle Ray and Sydney’s dynamic as well as their dynamic with their mom. Growing up, when she wasn’t at her parents house, she was here. When she was seven, she remembered how the dynamic had shifted greatly. The night Ray and Sydney’s dad left.

_Her parents didn’t argue with each other, not really. They had quick banter, were always talking in almost a coded language, and would usually shut down when Nora would enter the room. Her dad would kiss the top of her head and say ‘Nora-doll, go play with your barbies, mommy and daddy are talking about important things.’ She would but when she heard others come by the house, tall men that scared her, she would retreat to Ray’s where his parents were usually arguing but at least it felt safer than her house._

_Tonight was one of those nights. Nora cut through the backyard between hers and Ray’s houses and knocked on his window. His room was only illuminated by his desk lamp and the television. He opened the window and helped her in. She dropped her backpack, full of snacks and toys rather than schoolwork by his bed and hugged her best friend._

_Nora finally pulled away and saw Ray had been crying._

_“What is it, Ray? Did you watch_ Homeward Bound _again?”_

_Ray shook his head, unusually quiet. Nora sat down on the floor with him and pulled a container of Oreos out of her backpack. She offered them to Ray but he declined._

_“Ray, what’s wrong? Did I do something bad?”_

_“My dad left.”_

_She almost didn’t hear him. “What?”_

_“My dad left!” He said, louder this time._

_Nora looked at her friend, she had never seen him this upset. “Like? Forever?”_

_“Yeah he said sometimes people just stop loving each other and that’s what happened with him and my mom but we’d always be his boys but he had to go.”_

_Nora pulled the blanket off Ray’s bed and wrapped it around both of them, putting an arm around her friend’s shoulders. “I’m so sorry, Ray.” She squeezed him tight. “If you wanna cry, I’ll be right here.”_

_Ray nodded against her shoulder and let the tears flow freely. They sat like that for a long time, just holding one another._

From that point on, when Nora was over dinner was the four of them: Ray, Sydney, their mom, and Nora. Sandy had welcomed Nora’s presence even more if that was possible after their dad left, clinging to that little bit of distraction. She could compartmentalize, put on company behavior attitude, and not think about her crumbling marriage.

They were watching a movie when the front door opened for a second time. Sydney had come home about an hour before and so Nora knew this time it was Ray’s mom. Ray wanted it to be a surprise and so he walked out of his room with Nora in tow but made her wait around the corner.

“Hey, mom!” He greeted. “How was work?”

“Oh good, you know the same old, same old.” Sandy shrugged. “Help me put away these groceries?”

Ray nodded. “Sure thing. I actually have a surprise for you though.”

Sandy placed the grocery bags on the counter and put her hands on her hips. “What’s up?”

Nora came from around the corner with a sheepish grin. “Hey, Mrs. Palmer!”

Sandy’s face lit up and she opened her arms. Nora rushed into them and hugged Ray’s mom.

“Nora, oh look at you! Beautiful as ever, you look so much like your mom.” Sandy cupped Nora’s face in her hands. “I didn’t know you were back!”

Nora smiled. “I just got back, I live with the Lance’s. Ray invited me over for dinner yesterday, I hope that’s okay?”

Sandy nodded and hugged her again. “That’s more than okay, I’m making lasagna so we’ll have plenty. Raymond Palmer, I’m going to get you for not telling me Nora was back in town.”

“I wanted to surprise you!”

“Well, I am certainly very surprised!” Sandy chuckled. “Once I get these groceries put away I’ll start on dinner, I want to hear how you’ve been, Nora, we’ve missed you. I’m so sorry about your parents.”

Nora pulled away from Sandy and started helping Ray put the groceries away. “Thanks… I mean my life hasn’t been terribly exciting. I got shuffled around to different group homes in different cities until the Lance’s finally convinced my social worker it was safe for me to come back to Star City and now Detective Lance has custody of me.”

“I’m sorry… that’s no way to spend your teen years, but I’m glad your back. We’ve missed you, I know Ray has especially.”

Both teens’ cheeks flushed and they tried to not make eye contact. “I missed you guys too, especially your famous lasagna!”

An hour and a half later, the four gathered around the dining room table plates full of salad, garlic bread, and generous helpings of cheesy lasagna. They started eating in silence until Sydney asked for the parmesan cheese and Ray and Nora shared a look then started laughing.

“What?” Sydney asked.

Nora, between laughs, said, “do you not remember that one time when we were like eleven, your mom made lasagna and you wanted the parmesan cheese and you tried to just like push a dash but then the top came off the container and you just had this like… mountain of parmesan cheese. And you just rolled with it!” Nora covered her mouth, trying not to snort while laughing.

“Syd, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone eat that much cheese since.” Ray laughed with Nora, glad the two of them were back to being thick as thieves.

Sydney slammed the parmesan container back down without adding any to his lasagna and glared at them. “Fine, I won’t put any on, I guess.” He rolled his eyes at his brother and his brother’s best friend.

Nora settled back in the chair, “I’m sorry… I just was reminded of it. I couldn’t help myself.” She dug into her lasagna and tried not to laugh but let out a chuckle every time she and Ray locked eyes.

xxxx

Once dinner was finished, Ray was doing the dishes, which surprised no one. Nora was hopped up on the counter drying them and Sydney was putting them away. It felt so good to be back in this rhythm with her best friend. School that day hadn’t even been totally awful. Less people stared, the shock of Nora Darhk walking their halls yet again had mostly worn off and she even initiated the conversation with Mona this time in English. They had the period after that, AP Government, together, and Nora decided having Mona as a friend wouldn’t be a totally awful thing.

Ray loved seeing Nora flourish. He sat back and quietly observed Mona and Nora during second period that morning and was glad to see her more carefree than the day before. It was like she was that thirteen year old that he crushed on again. Well, he still had a crush on her, only now they were both almost eighteen.

When the dishes were done, Ray helped Nora down from the counter and let his hands linger on her hips for a second longer than he should have before they awkwardly broke away and Nora went to gather her things from his room. Ray followed her and before she knew it there they were at his front door, just like last night. Nora smiled up Ray and then hugged him around his middle, not quite wanting their evening to end. She heard his heartbeat under her ear and the noise soothed her, made her feel safe. Just because she was leaving his house for the evening didn’t mean he was disappearing from her life for forever. She had to believe that.

Ray wrapped his arms around Nora and hugged her back, breathing in her hair much like he had the night before. She was here. She was real. He had his best friend back. Even though she was leaving for now, he’d still see her tomorrow at school. He squeezed her a little tighter and finally broke the hug. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” He asked.

Nora grinned. “You bet. I’ll meet you in the parking lot.” She quietly exited much liked she had the night before and Ray watched her leave then quietly shut the door behind her.

He had it _really, really bad_.

xxxx

Nora was expecting she would coast through the school year but two weeks later, a handful of C- on Calculus quizzes, Nora found herself frustrated. She had turned to Ray, who said he understood Calculus yeah, but since they didn’t have the same teacher and he wasn’t _that_ good it was probably better to ask someone else. That was how she found herself nervously walking up to Zari Tomaz in Calculus one Friday morning.

Nora cleared her throat and Zari removed her headphones off her ears which were blaring some kind of screamo music.

“Can I help you?”

“Are you Zari? Umm… I’m Nora I don’t know if you remember me from middle school but Ray Palmer told me to ask if you might interested in helping me out in this class? I’m really struggling and he insisted you knew Calc way better than he did.”

“You want me to tutor you?” Zari raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, umm I’m sorry this was a dumb idea, I’ll go back to my seat.”

“No, wait, sure, I don’t mind, I’ve got the time. You live with the Lance’s right? Sara and I are good friends we’re actually hanging out, a bunch of us, tonight, there if you want I can sit down for a few minutes and see where you’re at with all of this so I can know how to help you.”

Nora lit up, “really? Thanks! I’ll like bake you brownies or something!” Nora heard the bell ring and made her way back to her seat and gave Zari a thumbs up.

xxxx

Nora had no idea just how many people were going to be over that night. She told Ray she couldn’t hang out because she and Zari were going to touch base about tutoring and he said he had to work on a robotics project anyways but now as people filed in, Nora suddenly felt very much like an outsider in a place she just felt like she could start to call a home.

There was Nate, who apparently was good friends with Ray, plus his girlfriend Amaya who she remembered having a choir class with in middle school, then there was Zari of course, who filed in with her backpack, and then wait no Amaya was already there… oh Charlie. Her name was apparently Charlie. Zari gave her a quick rundown of the facts. Charlie and Amaya were twins. Their parents divorced. They’ve been separated since they were toddlers, and they managed to get their parents back together, and now Charlie lives here in the states. It sounded like something out of a movie. When Nora was sure there couldn’t be anyone else coming, Mona rushed in, hugging Nora, glad they could finally all hang out and Nora smiled awkwardly at Mona.

Everyone seemed to know each other. Nora just peripherally knew everyone else. Ava and Sara were more than comfortable playing hostesses while Nora and Zari went over Nora’s quizzes. The more Zari talked the less stupid Nora felt about not understanding the parts of Calc she was struggling with, which Nora appreciated. They had excused themselves to Sara and Nora’s room while the rest of the group was in the living room being rowdy.

After a particularly loud howl from Nate, Nora chuckled. “They sound like they’re having fun.”

“Yeah, they probably found my Switch and hooked it up without asking, those bastards.” Zari rolled her eyes. “But at least they aren’t trying to bug us.”

“Yeah, I mean I guess so.” Nora shrugged. “Do you all hang out a lot?”

Zari shrugged. “We try to get together in a big group at least once a week, we rotate houses, this week it was Sara’s turn.”

“Oh that’s nice.” The concept of a small group of friends like this honestly baffled her. When she was in the different group homes she’d see the siblings usually stick together if they were moved together but other than no one really wanted to foster a sense of community. She and everyone else was always counting on either getting shuffled to another home or find a forever home. She knew she wouldn’t get one, with the risks to safety and her parents background and that made the concept of a community like this even more foreign.

“They don’t bite, you know.” Zari smiled.

“What?” Nora asked.

“Most of us are also friends with Ray and lets just say after the first day of school you came highly recommended in the friend department.”

Nora blushed. Ray really took to looking out for her in so many different ways. She knew she could never thank him and the thought overwhelmed her.

“You know… I was expecting to spend this year alone. I’d spent the last four years by myself, what was one more? I dreamed about coming back here but when I did I realized no one would want to be friends with me. Not after what my parents did.”

“Hey, we want to be friends with you. I’m pretty sure Mona _really_ wants to be friends with you. You’ve got a place here with us.”

“Thanks, Zari.” She bumped shoulders with the other brunette.

“No problem, now that that’s settled. Let’s get back to calculus.”

“Do we have to?”

“Yeah if you don’t want to fail!” Zari teased.

xxxx

That Monday Nora met Ray at her locker, anxiety bubbled in her stomach. Her Calculus test was first period and she couldn’t be more nervous. She and Zari had studied basically all weekend which ended up making them fast friends. After the initial session Friday, they had joined the rest of the group, surprised that they just accepted Nora, including her in all the conversations, sure she didn’t have context for a lot of it, but she felt included.

“You’re gonna ace this, Nora, I promise.”

“I don’t know about acing it but I would at least settle for a B. If I can get a B in this class it won’t jeopardize any scholarships I apply for, surely.”

“It won’t and you’re gonna get into whatever college you want and then you’re gonna take on the world.”

Nora smiled at Ray’s encouraging words. “Only if you take on the world with me, nerd.” She elbowed him gently.

“I promise to do my best.” He heard the two minute warning bell and gave her a hug. “You’re gonna do great, Nora. We’ll celebrate with custard tonight.”

Nora laughed. “Ray I won’t know my grade by tonight.”

“We’ll celebrate that you got through it and tried your best. I believe in you, Nora!” Ray said as they parted ways in the hall.

When Nora got to English she greeted Mona and Ray who immediately wanted to know how the test went.

“I don’t know… I mean it took almost the whole class to take it mostly because I was double and triple checking my work. I think I did okay. I don’t know if I got a B but I also don’t think I bombed it.”

“Nora that’s great!” Ray smiled and hugged her. “I’m so happy! I told you you could do it!”

“Hold that applause for when I actually get my grade back.”

Ray shrugged. “I will never stop and you can’t make me.” He tickled her sides, remembering her ticklish spots.

Nora yelped and smacked his arm. “Raymond Carson Palmer, you are not going to tickle me in public, how dare you?”

Ray backed off and grinned. “Sorry, sorry, I’ll make sure to tickle you only in private.” Ray realized how it sounded and his face turned red. “I mean… not like that… sorry that came out wrong.”

Nora giggled. “That’s what you get.” She poked him in the chest. “Also for the record, I could definitely be up for some custard tonight.”

Ray grinned and took his seat as the bell rang. “You got it.”

xxxx

Nora and Ray decided to sit outside, it was still fairly warm, being late August, as they devoured delicious custard. Nora had the biggest sweet tooth of the two of them, getting chocolate custard with hot fudge and a brownie and plenty of whipped cream. Ray got vanilla custard and topped it with lots of fresh fruit and, at Nora’s insistence, a healthy amount of whipped cream.

She was glad it was just the two of them, when she was over at his house, they were never truly alone, either Sydney was down the hall in his room, or his mom was home or both. When they were at the Lance’s Nora never quite felt completely comfortable, Sara could come home at any minute or Detective Lance for that matter and it wasn’t like she and Ray were hiding something, god no they were just friends (no matter how many times she’d thought about them becoming more since she’d returned) but she just wanted some quiet with her very best friend. Like the good ole days.

“So, Miss Darhk, how are you liking being back in Star City?” Ray asked and ate a spoonful of his custard.

Nora grinned and scooped up some of the still warm hot fudge and before taking the bite said, “I really like it. I really appreciate your friends being just as equally warm and welcoming as you. But I’m really glad we picked back up our friendship, even if I had made friends, I don’t think anything would’ve filled the void our friendship left and I don’t think I realized just how big of a void it would’ve left until I saw you again.”

Ray paused stirring his custard around in the cup and looked at her. He gave her a soft smile and placed a hand over hers. “I’m really glad that you decided to pick it back up. I’m not going to lie, I think it would’ve been hard to see you in the hallways every day or at lunch or in English class and not have that friendship with you. I would’ve let you had your space but if I’m being perfectly honest it would’ve been difficult.”

“I’m glad you fought for me, for this, for us, you always have, Ray.” She smiled and kissed his cheek. “You’re a good friend and I’m happy to have you back in my life.”

Ray was sure his heart skipped a beat when Nora’s lips touched his cheek. “I’m happy to have you back in my life, too.” He smiled. He pulled her into his side and kissed the top of her head, wishing so badly that all of their actions were romantically charged, but he’d take her friendship over her not being in his life at all any day, so he sat there and soaked up what he did have with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! Keep your eyes peeled for chapter three!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to all my frands who have read through this ahead of time and encouraged me. This fic wouldn't be possible without you.

_Zari Tomaz: Okay can we just all agree now to go to homecoming as one big group?_   
_Nora Darhk: Zari, there’s only three of us in this group chat_   
_Mona Wu: I’m down!_   
_Nora: Is this just because you don’t want to ask Charlie out?_   
_Zari: EXCUSE ME?_   
_Nora: umm yeah I see the way you look at her. Don’t try and play me._   
_Mona: Nora’s right. You make googly eyes at Charlie, just like Nora makes googly eyes at Ray._   
_Nora: MONA_   
_Zari: MONA_   
_Mona: Don’t hate me cause I’m right._   
_Nora: We’re gonna hate you cause you’re putting your nose in other people’s business._   
_Mona: you wouldn’t actually hate me, would you? :’(_   
_Nora: no of course not… you guys still coming over tonight?_   
_Mona: heck yeah! I’ve got the sparkling cider!_   
_Zari: I’ve got the nail polish!_   
_Nora: I’ve got the movies!_   
_Mona: NO MUSICALS_   
_Zari: NO MUSICALS_   
_Nora: You guys suck_

Nora locked her phone and settled all of the blankets into the floor. Mona and Zari were spending the night. They insisted once they heard Nora never got invited to sleepovers as a kid and the closest was falling asleep next to Ray at his eighth birthday party while watching the _Sound of Music_. Though they had teased her that was probably better than any sleepover she would’ve had, but they still wanted to make up for lost time and bond just the three of them.

She couldn’t still quite grasp the concept of having close friends like these. That were girls anyways. Nora had Ray mostly and Sydney too growing up and it was just so different. Ray had been more than willing to become an expert at braiding hair but other than that they still played knights and princesses and Power Rangers in his backyard and when they got older they always studied together and would talk some about life but she never wanted to let on she had feelings for him so she always kept herself guarded during their deeper conversations and would always switch the evening to a movie night.

Now Nora could be free to talk about whatever, especially her feelings for Ray that seemed stronger than ever. Bumping into him on the first day of school seemed to only remind her that when she left Star City, she left her heart with him. Their friendship had grown even stronger than she remembered it being when they were kids, she couldn’t tell if they were both subconsciously making up for lost time or if they were just older, wiser now, and truly valued their friendship. Nora wished it could develop into more, she just wanted a family. Ray’s family was so good to her, welcoming her with open arms they wouldn’t be half bad in laws, she smiled at the thought, let herself indulge in the feeling of being married to Ray ten, fifteen years down the line. A loud knock on the door brought Nora out of her thoughts. Her friends were here.

xxxx

“No, I’m telling you Mr. Hunter was TOTALLY making out in the broom close with Miss Ryder!” Zari insisted and ate a handful of popcorn.

Nora grimaced. “That’s gross, I do not want to think about my English teacher hooking up with the computer science teacher.”

Mona shrugged. “Hey now, man lost his wife and kid a few years ago, he deserves to be happy! We all do!” Mona clutched her drink to her chest and gave them both a starry eyed look.

Zary and Nora glanced at each other, chuckling at their hopelessly romantic friend.

“Gag,” said Zari.

Nora pulled out a pretty gold nail polish and shook it. “I think this might be a little too flashy for just school but do you think you could paint my nails with this for homecoming?”

“Want your nails to look pretty for Ray?” Zari teased.

“No! I just… I found my dress already and this would match perfectly.”

“Oh so I see you, found your dress and you’re already banking on Ray to ask you so you want to make sure everything is nice and coordinating.”

Nora’s cheeks flushed scarlet. “NO! I am not banking on Ray to ask me. We’re all going as friends which will probably include Ray in a larger group but no, he’s not going to ask me. We’re _just friends_.”

“Friends that stare at each other longingly when the other doesn’t think they’re looking.”

“That’s not true!” Nora defended. “I mean… maybe I do but I doubt he does. Ray and I are just friends.”

“You guys are gonna cave eventually and when you do we are going to throw a party,” Zari chuckled and sipped on the sparkling cider.

“You guys suck.” Nora threw pillows at both of her friends. “Why don’t we talk about something else? Like maybe Zari and Charlie or…?”

“Hey let’s not!” Zari cut her off and nudged Nora’s leg with her foot.

Nora rolled her eyes. “Then shall we start the movie?”

“Yes!” The other two brunettes cheered in unison.

Nora pulled out the copy of _Pitch Perfect_ she had rented and Mona and Zari groaned.

“NORA WE SAID NO MUSICALS!” The girls yelled in unison.

But Nora didn’t care. She put the movie in and sat back down to enjoy the rest of the night with her friends.

xxxx

“Amaya and Charlie have been talking about homecoming nonstop since they announced the theme.”

Ray chuckled, “not sure what’s creative about a 007 theme but I guess that just means all the guys will make sure to dress sharp.” Ray faked left and stole the ball from Nate, shooting it off into the basket.

“The thought of a James Bond type night has like every girl in school going nuts.” Nate caught the basketball once it dropped through the hoop. “Where the hell did you learn how to do that?”

“I watch sports… occasionally.”

“Someone that doesn’t watch sports, only refers to them as sports.” Nate shook his head. “AND you’re starting to bulk up, finally developing a complex about my abs or are you trying to impress a certain ex mafia princess who recently came back to town.” Nate threw Ray the ball and Ray threw it back, hard.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just trying to keep myself in shape, metabolisms start to slow done once we get older, you know. I’d hate to see you in four years with a beer belly.” Ray smirked.

“I will be fit as ever, I’ll have abs of steel.”

“I’m sure Amaya will appreciate that.”

“Oh she already does. What about you? You gonna get shirtless for Nora anytime soon?”

“It’s not like that between us, I told you, we’re just friends.” Ray wanted more. He’d wanted more since he knew what love was but he knew that Nora only saw him as a friend. They were thick as thieves and Nora probably saw him as a brother.

“I don’t know man, I’ve seen the way she acts around you versus the way she acts around Sydney and it’s different.”

Ray shrugged. “Yeah cause I’m closer to her than Syd is.”

“No way it’s that. Besides guys and girls can never be ‘just friends’ I mean yeah we have a big group of us that are all friends guys and girls alike but look at me and Amaya!”

“Nate, you asked Amaya out after an hour of knowing her.”

Nate pointed a Ray. “That’s exactly my point, man, because I knew she and I couldn’t ever be ‘just friends’ and be as close as I wanted to be with her.”

Ray looked up at the sky and shook his head. “Nora and I have been friends since we were five. That’s almost 13 years. We have more than mastered guys and girls being ‘just friends’, okay? So drop it.”

“Maybe ask her to go to homecoming just as a friend then. I’m sure she’d love it and if you guys are just friends, as you keep on insisting, then you both know that and it’s not weird.”

Ray thought about it for a minute. He would love to ask Nora to the homecoming dance, honestly. Maybe asking her as a friend was a way for him to have it both ways. He slowly nodded at Nate and knew he’d have to get planning _that night_.

xxxx

Monday rolled around and people were abuzz. Two weeks before the dance and everyone knew that was when people would start getting asked. Some in small ways, just a ‘hey wanna go?’ while passing each other in the hallways and some got big grand gestures.

Nora had already made plans to go with Zari and Mona so what she wasn’t expecting was a text from Ray. It was an audio file, not very long she tried to listen, it was only about eight second long and sounded like music. The music sounded familiar but she couldn’t quite place it without lyrics to go along. Before she could wrap her mind around what songs it could possibly be, the audio file was done. She listened to it a few more times but couldn’t quite figure it out. Nora went to her locker, expecting Ray to be there and frowned when she saw he wasn’t waiting for her.

_Nora: Hey, are you sick? Did you mean to send that file?_

She saw he read the text almost immediately but didn’t respond. Nora swallowed hard. Had she done something wrong? Was it because she had opted for a night with Zari and Mona instead of hanging out with him. She fought back the tears and took in a deep breath. No, their friendship was stronger than this. If he was upset because of a misunderstanding she would figure out a way to repair the damage. Nora opened her locker to exchange some of her books when a card fell out.

Nora picked up the small card and immediately recognized Ray’s script addressing the card to her. She traced her fingers over the way he had written _Nora_ and immediately opened the card.

It was a blank card on the outside, she opened it and the only words written were: _“In rain or shine, you’ve stood by me.”_ Nora’s brows furrowed. Well that was true, everything bad that happened in their lives, save for the last four years, they’ve stood by each other’s side for it. Ray’s parents’ divorce, her parents’ funerals, even when her goldfish died that he had won her at a school carnival when they were nine, he was right there at their makeshift bathroom funeral, saying goodbye to the fish they had affectionately named “Gumball.”

Nora shut her locker after exchanging her books and noticed something was scribbled on the back of the card as well. Just the number “1”. One what? Was this the first of several cards? What the heck was going on?

When Nora got to Calculus, she filled Zari in on Ray’s absence and the mysterious card. Zari told her to shrug it off, telling her “maybe Ray knew he wouldn’t be at school today so he just left you encouraging notes” and “please tell me again how this means that he’s not in love with you?”

Nora had rolled her eyes and tried to focus in Calc but couldn’t. She knew once she saw Ray in English everything would hopefully be cleared up. When she got to English there was no Mona nor Ray. Nora sighed. Where the heck were her friends? On her desk there was another note card though. She flipped it over and opened it. _“You’re my sunshine”_ was all that was written inside. She flipped the notecard over and confirmed her suspicions seeing the “2” in the corner. Something was up.

Without Ray or Mona, concentrating in English class seemed next to impossible. She decided to pull out a book for fun and hoped Mr. Hunter didn’t catch her not paying attention. She was in the back and he never called on her anyways. When the bell rang Nora booked it to AP Government. Maybe Mona was in that class. Maybe they had some weird meeting they both had to be at and that’s why they weren’t in English. When Nora got there, to no surprise, there was a third notecard on her desk. She opened this one as well _“I really love the things that you do”_ did he mean in their friendship? Her artwork? Art was next after lunch. Maybe that would finally shed some light on this whole weird encouraging yet cryptic notes situation.

There had ended up being a note but no Mona. Nora sighed and knew that also meant she’d spend lunch alone. To her surprise, Zari was still there, she was sure by that point in the day she had made up seeing her in Calculus that morning. Zari didn’t say much, only talked about the newest video game that she was playing and evaded any questions about Ray a little too skillfully. Nora was highly suspicious now. More than she had been that entire day.

When Art rolled around, she thought surely she’d get an answer. Surely Mona would be there and it would all make sense. Not only was her art project that she’d been in the middle of painting nowhere to be found but a fourth note was taped to her easel instead. She ripped it open, irritated at Ray’s antics at this point, she just wanted a normal Monday and her damn friends. She read the note. Just as equally cryptic _“You're the first one I turn to when things turn out bad”_ so? She knew that. She knew they went to each other with everything. Well almost everything at least on her end. But confessing your undying love to your very best friend who probably didn’t reciprocate seemed to be a valid thing to keep from them.

She looked around and other students acted as if nothing was off. She sighed, the teacher was reading the paper and sipping from a mug that in large black letters said **NOT PAINT WATER** and let out a small laugh, knowing there had to be a story behind that. She walked over to the window that overlooked the parking lot and opened the window, wanting some fresh air to clear her head.

And that’s when she heard it.

The same music from the audio file. She finally focused in on the people littering the parking lot, a small group of people all seemingly yelling at each other.

“Sara move over there! You’re gonna ruin it! The words will be out of order!” Nora unmistakably heard Ray’s voice and then the song. Her face broke out in a grin as the puzzle pieces fit together. She started running towards the door until her art teacher stopped her and handed her another envelope without even looking up from his paper.

She ripped it open and couldn’t stop laughing. The card simply said _“You’re my best friend”_. She ran down the stairs as fast as she could and out the doors of the breezeway that led out to the parking lot. It all made sense now, every last note. Freddie Mercury’s unique voice floated through her ears as it played through speakers the gang had set up in the parking lot and she watched as her friends all stood holding small signs. Ray, Mona, Zari, Charlie, Amaya, Nate, Sara, Ava. All of them. Her big dumb group of friends.

They all flipped the signs over Mona’s said “Will”, Zari’s said “You”, Charlie’s said “Go”, Amaya’s said “To”, Nate’s said “Homecoming”, Sara’s said “With”, and Ava’s simply had an arrow pointing to Ray. Nora covered her mouth, close to sobbing at this point. Ray opened his arms and Nora ran into them. He picked her up off the ground and she held on tight.

Ray sat her back down on the ground and smiled. “Will you go to homecoming with me, bestie?”

Nora shoved his chest playfully, “of course!” She laughed and hugged him again.

Nora had realized that in Ray’s grand gesture they had drawn the attention of a lot of students, any window that could view their part of the parking lot was filled with students on their cell phones filming the whole thing. Nora blushed. It wasn’t like he was her boyfriend asking, he was her best friend asking. To make her feel just as loved and accepted as anyone else. He’d do this for anyone.

But Ray chose to do it for her, and she’d never know how to thank him.

xxxx

When she got home from school that day she was on cloud nine. She had to avoid eye contact with Sara most of the way home because she knew, she _knew_ Sara would try and twist Ray’s incredibly kind gesture into how he MUST be in love with her.

Despite how Nora was hopelessly, helplessly, endlessly in love with this boy, she had a deep seated fear that everyone’s assumptions couldn’t be farther from the truth. She and Ray were just friends. They’d been friends since they were five, had seen each other at their lowest points from ages 5-13 and they did a lot of growing up together in that time. They had an incredibly special bond that Nora was thankful to have rekindled with Ray when she returned to Star City, but that’s all it was. Just a strong bond of friendship.

Nora finally glanced at Sara as they pulled in the driveway, Sara was staring curiously at the front door and Nora followed her gaze. There was a piece of paper taped to the door with bright red letters on it. She couldn’t read them from here but an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. Surely it wouldn’t mean anything good.

Sara, ever the cop’s daughter, instructed Nora to stay in the car. She got out of the car but didn’t approach the door any further. She called her dad who said he’d be there and asked if they could see anyone around the house that shouldn’t be. Sara has said no and got back in the car until Detective Lance got there.

He went in through the back in case there was anyone in the house and so he wouldn’t tamper with the note on the front door. He searched the property thoroughly and found no intruder. Someone must have left the note and then left.

Nora had called Ray, it was impulse. She wouldn’t feel completely safe until she saw him.

Detective Lance snapped a picture of the note on the door and sighed deeply. He walked over to the girls huddled together and spoke quietly to them. “I think in terms of immediate danger, there is none but Nora I think you should see this.” Detective Lance opened his phone and pulled up the picture he took of the note on the door. In bright sloppy letters it read:

_Bitch, live your life up because death awaits you at homecoming. It’s only fair. A life for a life._

Nora swallowed hard. She knew the note was about her. She knew it. Of course it wouldn’t be about Sara, other than being a little too mouthy who would she piss off to this level of threat? Nora shuddered. Someone was making a threat on her life. Of course they were. Her life was one long nightmare without reprieve. She looked up at Detective Lance and a wave of emotions hit her. What if the courts decided to remove her from their custody? What if she was pulled away from Star City again? Her new friends. _Ray?_ Nora started hyperventilating as the thoughts crashed around her until she heard one voice. And only one voice.

“Nora!” Ray shouted from the other side of the now crowded street.

Nora, nearly mindless in action, turned on her heel and ran straight for Ray, pushing through the crowd of chattering people and straight into his waiting arms. She buried her face in his chest and started sobbing.

“It’s about _me_. The note is about ME.” She sobbed into his chest. His arms were immediately around her, hands running up and down her back to soothe her. Her life had just been threatened, her livelihood now hung in the balance, but for some reason, when Ray’s arms came around her, when he whispered go ahead, cry it out, I’m here, her problems didn’t seem as scary. He was like a security blanket draped tightly around her. She looked up at him and furiously wiped her eyes. “The note… they said they’d kill me at homecoming.”

“What?” Anger bubbled inside Ray. A real proper anger that he hadn’t felt in ages. “Why would someone… why would someone want…”

“I don’t know but I’m not surprised. Nothing in my life is supposed to go right and apparently it’s just supposed to be miserable and short.”

“No… hey…” He brushed her hair away from her face. “Look at me. You’re going to have a good and full life, Nora Darhk. You’re gonna go to college and take on the world, remember? Now I can’t take it on with you if you give up because of someone’s sick idea of a joke or even because of a real threat. Detective Lance and the rest of the SCPD will deal with it. They’ll protect you. I’ll protect you. I know you can protect yourself but we’re going to rally behind you to make sure you’re okay.” Ray pulled her in for another hug and kissed the top of her head. “You’re gonna be okay.”

Nora sighed and placed her head on his chest. “You know, if everyone was telling me that right now, you’re the only one I’d believe.”

xxxx

Nora didn’t want Ray to let go of her. They could have very well been glued together. She returned to the driveway with Ray and Sara and Detective Lance. The police were wrapping up and Nora felt relieved to see more and more blue lights drive away.

“I don’t think it’s safe here for you anymore, Nora, I hate that for you. But for right now, until we know the seriousness of this note, you can’t stay here. I hate that I of all people can’t protect you. I felt like when I took you in, that would be the one thing I could count on. But it’s not anymore and I’m sorry.” Detective Lance looked like he had aged years during this entire endeavor. He looked disappointed in himself, angry at the world, and scared for Nora.

“What am I supposed to go? Back into the system? Out of Star City? Who’s to say whoever left that won’t find me wherever I go?”

“I don’t know if it’s you’ll leave Star City. Social services won’t make a decision until tomorrow morning, you’ll either have to spend the night at the precinct or stay with a friend.”

“She’ll stay with me.” Ray’s strong voice rumbled vibrations under her ear from her place at Ray’s side.

She looked up at him and smiled, he would always be there for her.

“Okay but I’m not sure what to do about getting a bag packed for you…”

“I can do that,” said Sara. “I’ll make sure to pack what a week’s worth of clothes just in case that way she doesn’t have to come back here or get a hold of one of us to come back here and I’ll pack up all your toiletries. I got you, Nora.”

Nora almost started crying at Sara’s kindness. The tension between them that was there when she first arrived had dissipated but this was different. The warmth in the gesture. The care behind it. Nora tore herself away from Ray for the first time since he showed up and threw her arms around Sara for a hug.

Sara hugged her back and pulled away. “If I find out some punk from school did this I’m gonna kick their ass for you, okay? And then I’m gonna lock him in my trunk and bring him wherever you are and you can kick his ass too, okay?”

Nora laughed, properly for the first time since this whole ordeal started and nodded. “Don’t make a promise you can’t keep, Lance.”

“I can promise you that we’re all gonna be there for you. And I promise to pack you only the most coordinating outfits.”

Nora smiled and pulled away. “You’re a true friend.”

“I try.” Sara grinned and went inside the house with her father.

xxxx

It felt like coming home. All of her fears, all of her anxieties, all of her worries melted away the second she stepped inside the Palmer’s home. Sandy came running for her, still in her scrubs, she must have left work, and the thought filled Nora with no end of guilt. Sandy wrapped Nora in her arms and pulled away, checking over her face as if she’d gotten some sort of physical injury.

“Ray called me as soon as he heard what happened and so I rushed home and then he said you were coming to stay with us for the night. How are you feeling? Do you want some tea? I can make you some tea? I’ve made up the couch for you I’m sorry we still don’t have a proper spare bedroom but you can stay here as long as you like.” Sandy pulled her into a hug again.

Nora felt a little too squeezed by the hug and sucked in a breath when Sandy finally let go. “I’m okay for now. Thank you for letting me stay.”

“I don’t think Ray would’ve had it any other way tonight so I wasn’t about to say no,” said Sandy.

Nora blushed, trying so hard to fight it. “Umm tea actually sounds lovely by the way. I’m gonna go hop in the shower and try to wash this day off me.”

“Absolutely, I’ll put the kettle on.” Sandy looked at Ray. “Show Nora how the shower works?”

Ray nodded and placed a hand on Nora’s back. The gesture made her feel steady, like she could get through this. She thanked Sandy again and walked with Ray down the hall.

“So you just pull straight up and straight down to turn it on and off. Turn it to the left if you’re facing the faucet to make it hotter.” Ray smiled. “It’s simple but if you have trouble or need anything just yell okay?”

Nora nodded and stood awkwardly in the bathroom with basically her whole life in a large duffel bag. She wasn’t expecting this was how her Monday would end but circumstances aside, spending the evening with Ray wasn’t the worst way to end it. She sat her bag down and just as Ray was about to walk out she called for him. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight one more time and thanked him and then let him leave.

xxxx

Her shower did her good. She had a lot to process. The school day had ended so well, Ray asking her to homecoming, but it had all been chaos after that. She got dressed in pajamas Sara had packed her (thankfully no practically jokes in the form of _just_ lingerie that who knows where she got it being packed) and she made her way out into the rest of the house while towel drying her hair. She dropped the towel in the hamper in the laundry room and picked up the steaming mug left by Sandy on the kitchen counter. She stirred her tea and walked back down the hall to Ray’s room.

Nora leaned against the open doorway and watched him at his desk, fiddling with something, softly cursing at it (which brought a goofy grin to her face), and completely lost in the world of his invention. She stirred her tea quietly and continued to watch her best friend. If she hadn’t known it since the first day of school, this would be the moment when the overwhelming feeling that she was totally and completely in love with Ray crashed over her like a tidal wave.

Ray heard the clicking of metal over his own and realized someone was watching him. He turned around and smiled at Nora who was standing in the doorway looking absolutely adorable. Pajamas, damp hair, no makeup, stirring a mug of tea. She looked free of every burden laid on her today. She looked happy.

“Hey there, stranger.” He smiled and stood up from his desk chair.

“Hey bestie.” She grinned and walked into his room. “Thank you for letting me stay here.”

“You weren’t staying anywhere else.” He smiled.

“I know and I can’t really explain this feeling that I’m feeling but I’m more than thrilled that I feel like I can always count on you to do something like that. You’ve constantly supported me and wanted the best for me and wanted to keep me safe. You’re an amazing friend, Ray. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay for the kindness you’ve shown me.”

Ray waved her off. “You’re my _best friend_. My absolutely number one best friend. Twins are supposed to be each other’s built in best friend and therefore their number one best friend and sorry to Sydney, but you knocked him out of that spot a long time ago. I just want to make sure you’re okay and I’m going to do everything in my power to make things okay. They’ll find out whoever did this and after you and Sara are done beating them up I’d like to take a crack at them.”

Nora shoved Ray’s bicep gently, not trying to focus on the pleasant feeling of how it had firmed up in the weeks since she’s been back. “You, Ray Palmer, don’t have a violent bone in your body.”

“I do when someone threatens the life of the most important person to me.”

Nora felt tears pricking at the back of her eyes. She did not deserve this boy as her friend. She didn’t. Nora looked up at him and shook her head. “I still believe there’s too much goodness in you for that, Ray, and that’s why you’re such an amazing person.”

Nora sat her mug of tea on his desk and hugged him around his middle. Ray hugged her back and pressed his cheek to the top of her head. They stood there for a while, just holding each other like they always did after life threw them a curveball until Nora finally broke the hug.

“I should go to bed, it’s been a day…”

Ray cleared his throat. “Right yeah, umm I’ll see you in the morning.”

Nora smiled. “And, Ray? Just for the record, despite what happened after school I am more than thrilled to go to homecoming with you.”

“Should you really? After the threat?”

“If there’s anything you taught me it’s that to get through life you need to face it. Not shut down. I would’ve done that normally but, you taught me a better way.” She made her way to the door. “Night, Ray.” She finally turned on her heel and left.

“Night, Nora,” he finally said after she was out of earshot.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had to split this chapter in two because it's so long! Here is prep for homecoming and the next chapter will actually be homecoming! Enjoy!

This was the biggest group gathering she’d been a part of. They met up at Ray’s house, for Nora’s convenience and safety, and in doing that, they were joined by Sydney and his girlfriend Rose and Ray had finally been able to come to one of the gatherings.

They all sat around discussing everything from homecoming, to any updates about the crazy note left for Nora. She was trying to return to normal. It was nice staying at Ray’s (though sleeping on the couch was an experience since she had been used to a bed for the last few months) but she relished in Sandy’s warm presence, having Ray near almost all the time, listening to Sydney ramble about soccer, just sitting quietly and enjoying the coziness and homey feeling of the Palmer household.

She could curl up on the couch with a cup of tea and her homework and just be _home_. She appreciated the Lance’s taking her in, she would never be able to repay them for all the wonderful hospitality they had bestowed upon her, they gave her a real proper roof over her head for the first time in four years that didn’t seem unstable. But being at the Palmer’s was different. This truly felt like _home_.

“Do you know when you’re going back to the Lance’s? Is it safe yet?” Amaya asked, bringing Nora out of her thoughts.

She looked around at her friends, not wanting to be the bearer of bad news. “Tomorrow…” She glanced as Sara, who already knew, and felt Ray, who did not, tense up next to her. “The house is being monitored and they’ve already searched through the whole house for weapons or a bomb or even someone squatting. It’s safe to go back.”

“Well that’s something, maybe whoever it was gave up.”

Nora shook her head. “I doubt it. I’m sure whoever it was probably had like a beef with my dad and I’m just the next best target.” She shrugged. “But the school is already taking precautions to make sure homecoming is safe so they don’t have to cancel and I still want to go.”

“You want to go? Are you sure? We could like have a big party somewhere instead,” Zari suggested.

“No, I need to show whoever it is that I don’t scare easy. I’ll be fine. Ray is taking me straight there and straight home. And I’ll see you guys there.”

None of the faces she looked into seemed convinced of her plans.

“Mona, Zari, you guys still better come over and help me get ready. I’m counting on you to do my nails, remember Zari?” She tried to make the conversation lighter and it didn’t quite seem to work.

“If you’re sure you want to go… we’ll be there.” Zari gave Nora a reassuring smile. “We’ll all be there for you, Nora, at the dance I mean. No one is getting to you unless it’s through us.”

Nora smiled. “That’s very nice of you but I’m sure that they’d also have to get through the sea of policemen first.”

“True but if anyone tries anything we’d all like to take a crack at them after you have of course.”

“Okay, sure thing.” Nora shook her head. She had the best friends.

xxxx

A 24/7 donut shop opened up in the four years Nora had been gone and for some reason, that created a made craving for donuts at 8:30pm with all of her friends, Ray included. Nora had politely declined, too peopled out if she was being honest but said instead she didn’t want to risk being out at night even with a large group of people. Ray offered to stay behind, looking almost guilty for still wanting to go and Nora insisted he went with. She and Sydney nearly pushed him out the door and she instructed Sydney to make sure Ray had some fun.

Now that left Nora home alone. Sandy would be back anytime now from work, she had a later shift since Ray and Sydney were having people over. Nora started the electric kettle and changed into pajamas while it started up. When she left the bathroom she heard the front door open and saw the matriarch of the household step inside. Nora smiled and greeted her on her way to the kitchen.

Sandy went off to her room to change and came back out to find Nora making tea.

“Hey, do you want a cup?” Nora asked.

Sandy nodded. “That would be great, after the day I had for sure.”

Nora prepared her a cup and handed it to her before taking her place on the couch, which had basically been her bed for the last four days.

“Where are my sons?” Sandy asked. “Didn’t you guys have friends over tonight?”

Nora nodded and sipped her tea. “We did and they wanted to go to that twenty four hour donut shop and I didn’t really want to and Ray offered to stay behind but I told him to go and indulge on a gluten free donut for me and Sydney and I had to practically shove him out the front door.” Nora grinned over the rim of her mug.

“That boy doesn’t want to go anywhere without you if there’s a possibility of you going.”

“And that’s sweet but Ray has his own life separate of me and he needs to live it. He doesn’t own me anything so it’s not like he’s obligated to be around me that much.” Nora shrugged and stirred her tea.

Sandy placed a hand on Nora’s arm. “Yeah but he wants to be around you, and I know you like having him around as much as he likes being around.”

Nora was quiet for a minute, wondering if Sandy was digging for intel on interest deeper than friendship. “He’s a good friend. He’s my best friend.”

“And I can see from the way you look at him that you want more.”

“No,” Nora insisted, “we’re just friends. That’s all we’ll ever be.”

“Is that what you think will be the reality or is that what you want?”

“Can I be honest? Even though you’re Ray’s mom?”

Sandy nodded. “You can tell me anything, I would never betray your trust like that even if it was to my own son.”

Nora took in a deep breath. “I’ve been in love with Ray probably since before I knew what love was. And then I left but I’m pretty sure I left my heart here with him and now that I’ve been back… I don’t know, it’s like it’s all still there and more. I’m more in love with him. But I know he only sees us as friends.”

“Nora, you don’t know that…” Sandy had to be careful with her words. She couldn’t just out her son’s long-standing crush on Nora, especially if Ray didn’t feel ready to share that yet with Nora, it was just things Sandy had picked up on, mother’s intuition. So she had to make it seem like she didn’t know.

“Do you?” Nora asked.

“I don’t, I’m sorry. Sydney’s the mama’s boy.” The women chuckled and Sandy spoke again. “But if you feel this strongly, you should tell him. You’re only going to feel worse if you go on not knowing. The possibilities are endless and even if he doesn’t feel the same, you mean enough to him to not ruin your friendship.”

“But what if that’s exactly what happens? What if Ray hates me?”

“Then I will ground his ass for treating the only girl that’s been like a daughter to me like dirt.”

Nora didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at Sandy’s odd but sweet sentiment. “You think of me like a daughter?”

“Always have. Always will. You’re always welcome here, Nora. You’ve been good to my boys.”

“Sandy…”

“No I mean it. After their dad left I knew I didn’t have to worry about their well-being as much because you were always there for them. You were such a constant presence it helped them get through the pain of their parents splitting up a lot easier than I think it would’ve been if you hadn’t been there for them, Ray especially. And now you’ve grown into this incredibly strong young woman whose been through more than any person her age should have to go through and you’re still standing. You deserve to be happy, Nora and even if that’s not with my son, you still have a home and a family that will welcome you anytime. And that’s here.”

Tears pricked in Nora’s eyes and she threw her arms around Sandy, letting herself cry. She hadn’t had a warm and comforting maternal presence since her mother died and she just sat there in Sandy’s arms soaking it up. She curled into Sandy and felt her start to gently rub her back, the comforting gesture reminding her of Ray’s hugs.

“Thank you, so much, Sandy,” Nora said and lifted her head up. “I never thought I’d have a family after my parents and I didn’t blame anyone for staying at arms length and yet the minute I walked back into your house you’ve been nothing but nice to me. I could never repay you for that. Thank you so much.” She hugged her again and took in a deep breath.

Sandy gently cupped the back of Nora’s head and continued to rub her back in soothing motions. “You don’t owe me a thing, Nora. You’re family.”

xxxx

The conversation with Sandy made it all the harder to return to the Lance’s the next day. Nora hadn’t really said much to Ray when he had returned the night before but she wanted, no needed, to talk to him before she left.

She knocked on his bedroom door and she heard a mumbled ‘come in’ and she care inside.

“Hey,” Nora said quietly.

Ray looked up from doing homework at his desk and smiled sadly at her. “Hi.”

“Ray… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I didn’t find out till lunch when Sara caught me and said it was all good to come back and then we were just all hanging out and Amaya asked and I just… I feel really bad that I didn’t get to tell you individually. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay, really, I just want to make sure you’re okay and I have a harder time doing that if you’re not here… but you should go back, you have a bed there, you live with them, if it’s safe you, go, as much as I don’t want you to leave, you don’t need me anymore.”

Nora’s heart broke, no shattered, she didn’t think her going back would affect him this much. Nora went to him and tugged on his hands to pull him to his feet. She threw her arms around him, much like that afternoon after the first day of school, and held on tight. She pulled back and smiled sadly at him. “It is safe for me to go back but I will always need you, Ray, you’re my best friend. I can take care of myself, that’s true, but I always need my best friend. You always make me feel safe, whether that’s an encouraging text message or a hug or a phone call or just sitting quietly together doing homework. You’re very important to me.” Nora hugged him again, wishing she could kiss the uncertainty out of this boy but she knew that wasn’t how he saw their dynamic, so for now, she just had to hug it out of him. “You’re the most important person to me.”

xxxx

The following Friday rolled around almost too quickly. Nora’s week went by in a blur, it was good to be sleeping in her own bed again for the sake of her neck and back but nothing beat the emotional comfort she felt at the Palmer’s. She was over at their house almost every night that week for dinner, trying to still grasp at the little sliver of home she had while staying with them and now it was Friday. Homecoming.

School was crazy. You could tell absolutely no one wanted to pay attention, girls were skipping class to get their hair done, and Nora couldn’t wait for the night ahead of her. She, Mona, and Zari would all cram into Sara’s car and be off. They had their dresses shoved in their lockers so they could all have maximum prep time. Nails, hair, makeup, the works. Ray would pick Nora up and then the larger group would all drive separately and meet up there.

The Lance residence was so full of estrogen, Detective Lance could not wait for his night shift to start. He came back from a grocery trip to makeup everywhere, dresses laid out on his couch, and distinctly heard Mona Wu shouting “SARA, NO DON’T MESS UP MY MASTERPIECE.”

Quentin knocked on Sara and Nora’s bedroom door and heard Zari yelled defensively “WHO IS IT?”

“Dear old dad with snacks as payment for entrance?”

Sara rushed to the door, in her robe and her hair curled to perfection with a braided half up half down pinned in place. “Hey dad!” She took the snacks from his arms and, before almost immediately shutting the door, said “thanks!”

A choir of laughs was all he heard after that. Quentin rolled his eyes and made his way to his own room, wanting to stay far, far away if he clearly wasn’t wanted beyond snack provider.

xxxx

Mona sat up on her knees behind Nora in front of Sara’s full length mirror armed with various styling tools. “So, what hairdo would you like to have that will drive Ray Palmer crazy?”

Nora rolled her eyes. “You all are the worst.” She laughed. “I want to have fun tonight, not just with Ray but with all of you guys. I never thought I’d actually have real friends ever again. And somehow you weirdos thought I fit right in, so thank you.”

Mona hugged her from behind, tight, and grinned. “I’m so excited we go to be friends. I was always too scared to say hi to you in middle school, so I’m glad we have the chance now.”

Nora hugged Mona’s arms and smiled at her in the mirror. “You shouldn’t have been afraid of me, I’m sorry if I acted in a way that made me scary, but I am glad we’re friends now.”

“It was probably mostly in my head, you were always so nice but you mostly hung out with Ray and Sydney and I didn’t want to disrupt your dynamic.”

“You should’ve. The more friends the merrier.”

“You know, three months ago I wouldn’t have expected that to come out of your mouth, Nora,” Sara popped a Pringle in her mouth. “You’ve grown a lot and while I had my reservations at first, you’re actually pretty awesome.”

Nora blushed. “Thank, Sara, I didn’t know that actually having people there for me would be such a good thing. I’ve always rescued myself in times of need but it’s also not a bad thing to need people every once in a while I guess.”

Sara smiled. “Damn straight, we’ll always be here for you.”

“Okay, Nora, focus, what do you want to do with your hair?” Mona asked.

Nora thought for a minute, “maybe just something super simple? Like an updo but simple. Like if we curled my hair and then pulled it off to the side and pinned it all wispy like.”

Mona grinned. “I think I can do that!” Mona picked up the curling iron. “Let's get started.”

By the time Mona had finished, Nora kept looking in the mirror, in awe of her hair. She couldn’t believe she could look that good. Nora knew she wasn’t ugly by any means but she still didn’t think of herself as having extraordinary beauty like any of her friends did. She felt average and she was okay with that for the most part.

“Well?” Nora turned around to show her friends her delicately pinned updo.

“HOTTIE ALERT!” Zari grinned.

“Yeah if I wasn’t dating Ava…”

Nora laughed at both of her friends. “Speaking of dating… I think… I think I’m gonna tell Ray how I feel. At the dance tonight.”

“YOU’RE GONNA WHAT?!” They all screamed.

“I think I’m going to tell him how in love with him I am. You guys have been right all along. I’m like stupid in love with Ray. I have been for a really long time.”

“Nora that’s amazing! We’re so proud of you!” Sara said. The girls all moved in for a group hug. “And if Ray doesn’t feel the same and is mean about it, we’ll totally kick his butt.”

Nora chuckled and wiped away a tear. “Sandy said the same thing.”

“You told his mom?”

“When you guys left for donuts last week she and I stayed up late talking and I told her how I felt. She said she wouldn’t tell Ray, she also said she had no idea how he felt.”

“Well that’s a start! I’m sure he’s just as in love with you! Now! Let’s make you look like the tastiest and most gluten free snack that Ray Palmer won’t be able to resist!” Zari squeezed Nora again in a hug and picked up her makeup carrier.

xxxx

“Just because a bunch of the girls are getting ready at Sara’s didn’t mean you guys had to come over here.” Ray shook his head at his friends as he, Sydney, Nate, and Ava were all getting ready. Ava finished curling her hair and had already changed into a sleeveless blue bodycon dress and was finishing her makeup. She had been banned from getting ready with the rest of the girls because Sara had _insisted_  that her dress be a surprise, so she hitched a ride with Nate over to the Palmer residence.

“Yeah well we all wanted to see how nervous you were before taking Nora out.” Nate clapped Ray’s back and chuckled.

“We’re just friends.”

“Yeah but you’re in looooovveee with her Ray, like big time.” Nate bumped Ray out of in front of the mirror and straightened his tie. “Soon I’ll be tying my tie for your wedding.” He elbowed Ray in the ribs.

Ava chuckled from her place at the other mirror as she finished her eye makeup. “You boys are ridiculous.”

“How is my brother being ridiculous? Denying his feelings for Nora again, is he?”

“Exactly!” Ava replied.

“Syd.” Ray glared. “You’re not helping.”

“Oh no, I am, and when you and little lady Darhk do get together, me and Rose and you and Nora have to double date.”

Ray rolled his eyes. “We aren’t together and will never be. She doesn’t like me like that. We’re just friends. The closest of friends but nothing more and it will never be anything more.”

“I don’t know… I’m pretty sure after everything she doesn’t like being away from you and I feel like that’s a pretty clear indication of this being a two way street, my friend.” Ava leaned back against Ray’s dressed and crossed her arms.

“Nora’s been through a lot and that’s why. If you’re in trouble you want your family or the closest thing to it. Well I’m that, but that doesn’t mean she wants me more than that.”

“You didn’t hear her having any like kinky sex dreams while she stayed here? Moaning out your name on the couch in the middle of the night?”

Ray punched Nate in the arm at his comment. “No, absolutely not. Besides she was all the way in the living room and I respected her space while she stayed her. That’s disgusting, Nate, have a little more respect for her.”

“Geez, sorry,” Nate rubbed where Ray hand punched him in the arm. “You’re getting stronger and I don’t like it.”

“Yeah well, in case something does happen tonight and Nora needs backup, I want to be able to protect her.”

“You’ve got it bad, man.” Nate shook his head. “But we’ll all be rooting for you.”

“I’m telling you, she doesn’t feel that way about me!”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO I had to actually split this chapter into two like I said, so this is the HOMECOMING WEE!!!!
> 
> ALSO very important: 
> 
> TW: non-graphic depiction of violence.

Ray pulled up to the Lance’s house and fetched the corsage in the passenger’s seat. He stepped out of his car and walked towards the front door. He rung the bell and patiently waited.

Inside, Nora was putting on the finishing touches, making sure her stockings didn’t have a run, her heels were comfortable and that her dress laid correctly. She had chosen a tea length gown, black with a beautifully golden brocade pattern and a large keyhole back. It was sleeveless and the skirt puffed out a little bit so twirling would be fun. She finished off the look with simple pointed black kitten heels.

Nora exited the bathroom, her friends were waiting for her big reveal in the hallway. When she walked out all of her friend aww’ed in unison at her finished look. She smiled at each of her friends, thinking they looked pretty gorgeous themselves. Sara in a tight fitting red dress, Zari in a completely black but incredibly poofy tea length dress, and Mona in a green dress with a floral tulle overlay. They all looked amazing.

“You guys look great!” Nora grinned.

“You look stunning!” Mona squealed.

“Yes Nora you look amazing! Ray is gonna flip and he just rung the doorbell so let’s get you down there!” Sara said.

“His jaw is gonna drop!” Zari exclaimed.

Nora rolled her eyes at her easily entertained friends and grabbed her clutch from her and Sara’s bedroom then walked over to the front door with the rest of her friends. Sara answered and Nora hid behind Mona and Zari to surprise Ray.

“Can I help, Mr. Palmer?” Sara asked teasingly.

“I’m here to pick up Nora.” He seemed to be vibrating with nervous energy and briefly fumbled with the corsage box in his hand.

“Well she already left, said Nate made her a better offer.” Sara teased.

“What?” Ray looked totally confused, Nate had a girlfriend what the hell was going on?

Sara bursted out laughing. “I’m just screwing with you, she’s right here.”

Ray watched as Mona and Zari stepped aside to reveal Nora behind them. Time slowed down as he saw his very best friend all dolled up for homecoming. She was always beautiful, but something about this moment seemed to slow the passage of time and illuminate her features in a way that made her seem like an angel sent from above. He did not deserve to have this angel in his life.

Ray stepped inside, almost tripping on the transition which sent the corsage box flying out of his hand. Zari caught it and laughed at her friend’s nervous as hell date. Ray steadied himself and went to Nora.

“You look amazing.”

Nora smiled up at him, he cleaned up so well. And smelled so good not like the suffocating boy cologne that would waft through her nose when she would be at the mall but a good clean scent that was just _Ray_. She watched Zari hand the box back to Ray and she giggled. “You didn’t have to get me one of those.”

“I wanted to. It’s fun, why not?” He smiled.

“It’s sweet.” She smiled up at him. “You gonna put it on me, Palmer?”

Ray opened the box. “Right! Sorry!” He pulled out the boutonniere and corsage and handed her the boutonnière. Ray slid the corsage delicately onto her outstretched wrist and secured it so the baby pink flowers wouldn’t flop around.

“It’s beautiful.” She blushed and stared down at the corsage, hoping he would just assume her tinted cheeks were from her makeup. “Oh here let me, tell me if I stab you.” She reached up and pinned the boutonnière to Ray’s jacket and smiled. She looked out of the corner of her eye and saw her friends trying to subtly not so subtly take tons of pictures on their phone. She tried to hide her eye roll and took his arm when he offered it.

“Shall we?” He asked.

“Yeah, let’s go. I’ll see you guys there. Behave.” Nora warned.

“No promises!” Sara called. Once Ray and Nora were out at his car, Sara looked at Zari and Mona. “I swear if those two don’t get together tonight, something isn’t right with the universe.”

xxxx

The gym had been transformed into a magical ballroom. Streamers everywhere, some tables to sit at while you took a break from the dancing, a photo booth, the whole evening was all color coordinated in blacks and golds and white.

“This is amazing! Oh, Ray, look there’s a photo booth we should go do it! Remember how we’d always get those one done at the mall?”

Ray laughed. “Oh yeah! Wow I have those picture strips somewhere in my desk drawer.”

Nora laughed along with him and dragged him over to the photo booth. They picked up props, Nora held up a sign that said 007 Homecoming 2018 and Ray held obscenely large glasses over his face. They did some silly poses and waited for the printer to print the photo. Nora handed him his copy and smiled. “This was a great start to the night.”

“I agree, oh hey look I think everyone else is here! We should get them to do the photo booth later!”

“Yeah, later, but for now, let’s dance! I wanna see if you still can’t actually dance.”

Ray tried to look offended. “Not fair! I can dance thank you very much!”

“Violently thrashing while standing up is not dancing.”

“I’ll dance your socks off, Nora Darhk, just to prove you wrong.”

“I’ll hold you to that, Ray Palmer.” She dragged him over to the dance floor where her friends were already gathering.

All eleven friends danced in a cluster in varying degrees of success. Zari just kind of awkwardly shifted from side to side while trying to not pay attention to how attractive Charlie was. Nate and Amaya had already been yelled at twice by one of the chaperons to stop grinding on each other, Sara and Ava had received three of the same warnings, and Sydney and Rose were somehow finding a way to slow dance to an upbeat pop song.

Mona and Nora were twirling each other around, taking turns dipping each other, and Nora felt like she hadn’t ever had this much fun. She caught Ray’s eyes a couple of times and tried to look away but he just gave her a sweet smile and looked at her with pride at the fact that she having so much fun.

Mona, probably not as accidentally as she made it seem, eventually twirled Nora right into Ray. She collided with his body and apologized, and she was taken back to that first day of school. _So much had changed._ She took in a deep breath and looked up at the boy she had loved for so long and wanted so badly to lean in and kiss him. She realized she’d been standing there, still and firmly pressed against him, lost in thought, for a few seconds too long and quickly broke away, making a remark to Mona about being away of other people’s space.

They continued to all dance until Nora needed to sit, she was getting tired and hot and sweaty and she needed a breather. Ray volunteered to get them water and she took her seat with Mona and Zari. Nora observed the room, noticing how almost every entrance and every few feet against the walls in between there was a police officer and Nora was suddenly reminded of the very real threat that had been made against. Surely after all this they still wouldn’t try it tonight. Would they? Nora felt the hair stand up on the back of her neck, suddenly aware of someone watching her and approaching her, she nearly jumped out of her seat until she saw Ray place a cup of ice water on the table in front of her. She relaxed back into the chair and he looked at her curiously, asking if she was okay. She waved him off and took a sip of the water, thankful that it cooled her down, which helped to calm her nerves.

They sat there talking and more people floated over to the table as others left. Ray and Nora stayed seated there talking about everything and anything, still not quite wanting to go back out on the dance floor. Nora thought about tell him during their talks but right as she would think of the words, someone would come join their table and she would chicken out. She checked her phone and saw texts from Mona, Zari, and Sara which were all just pictures from different angles of when ray came to pick Nora up. She smiled at the photos and nearly laughed at how smitten she was with this boy in the photo. She was hopeless.

Nora dabbed at her makeup with a tissue and realized more was coming off than she had anticipated. “I’m gonna run to the bathroom and freshen up my makeup. I’ll be right back.”

“Nora, should you go by yourself? Why don’t you get one of the girls?”

Nora waved him off. “They look like they’re having fun. I’ll be okay, the bathroom is in the girl’s locker room. I think I’d know if someone else was in there and it’s big enough for me to get away.”

Ray didn’t seem satisfied with her answer. He sighed and let her go anyways.

Nora walked into the restroom and went immediately to the mirror. She pulled out some pressed powder and dabbed it across her nose and chin and forehead. She didn’t hear anything else in the locker room, just the occasional drip from the showers and the rumble of the HVAC unit. Nora washed her hands to get any makeup she got under her glittery fingernails off and dried her hands. She was heading back out towards the door when she heard footsteps. Hair stood on the back of her neck and she turned around, seeing no one. Maybe it was the echo of her heels.

Nora continued to walk towards the door and the footsteps began again. She turned and still saw no one. She was almost at the door when she felt someone yank her back by the top of the keyhole on the back of her dress. Nora stumbled and tried to turn around but was quickly pinned to the wall next to the door. She couldn’t really move, her assailant had several inches on her but she maneuvered her pinned arm as best she could and reared back, trying to elbow whoever it was _somewhere_. They finally released their grip enough and Nora turned in their grasp only for them to immediately go for her throat. She finally looked up at the face of her attacker.

She barely could get the words out with his hands at her throat but she looked up in confusion and croaked out, “Mark Lawson?”

“Sup, bitch, ready to die?”

“What? Why?” What did the quarterback of the football team have against her to the point of murder? She couldn’t breathe as his strong arms pressed her against the wall again and she dangled off the floor from their height difference.

“A life for a life.”

“I didn’t… kill… anyone…!”

“No but my dad is serving a life sentence thanks to you.”

And then it hit her. The trial and every other bad memory from four years ago crashed in on her. Mark’s dad, Todd Lawson, had been found out as the person who put the hit out on her parents. He had mafia ties too, but apparently he still had family and that kept him in Star City while she got bounced around the country.

“Your dad… shouldn’t… have killed… my parents!”

“He didn’t.”

“He may not have pulled the trigger but he was still why they’re not here.” Nora pulled her legs up and kicked at Mark. She forced him away enough that he dropped his hold at her neck and she fell to the ground. She tried to scramble towards the door and he charged at her. He grabbed at her throat again and the force of his assault threw the swinging door open and out into the rest of the gym. Nora crashed onto the ground with Mark on top of her as she fought for air.

She hoped Ray wasn’t far. She hoped her friends weren’t too far. She hoped someone was coming. She… she could do this. She wanted Ray’s safety in the aftermath but this was her fight. This was Mark’s stupid revenge plot and she wasn’t about to be a victim. Nora grabbed at his neck as he began to squeeze in tighter and cracked her brow into Mark’s forehead. He was so jarred he had no choice but to relent. Once she was free she watched him be pulled off her by a couple of officers and she heard one voice over the crowd.

“Nora! Oh my god.” Nora scrambled to her feet and threw her arms around Ray. She breathed him in and it immediately calmed her anxious brain. “Who… Mark… what?”

“Miss Darhk, we’ve called Detective Lance, he’s going to meet us all down at the station, you’re going to have to come with us to make a statement and get checked over for your injuries,” a police officer said.

Nora looked at her from her place in Ray’s arms. “Okay… umm… can he come with me? I just…”

The officer nodded. “We’ll take you in my squad car.”

xxxx

Ray wanted to punch something. He should have _never_ let her go into that bathroom by herself. He should’ve insisted Zari or Mona or someone go with her. Ray felt Nora’s weight on him, she had his jacket draped around her shoulders to shield her from the chilly October air, as they rode in the back of the squad car. She had dozed off and Ray was letting her have that brain break.

The officer in the front seat smiled at them. “I remember you, from the Darhk murder trial. You were the boy that was last seen with Nora before she got to her parents house.”

Ray remembered the countless hours of interviews and had almost hated police stations after all of that. Then there was the trial. And then because of it all, he never got to see Nora again.

“And you’re the cop that told me I couldn’t talk to Nora for her safety anymore.”

“I was… but it looks like you guys found your way back to each other.”

“I guess we did.” Ray pulled Nora closer and she snuggled into his shoulder.

The officer brought them in, ray hated waking Nora but he knew it had to be done. He let her walk ahead of him and watched her greet Detective Lance.

“I’m sorry… we should’ve been better, had better patrol but he snuck in through a window in the locker room before the dance started…”

Nora shook her head. “It’s okay. It’s over now… I just want to make my statement and go home.”

“I understand. We’re also gonna have to get you checked out for your injuries.”

Nora sighed, Ray’s jacket across her shoulders made the motion seem exaggerated. She looked back at Ray. “Can he stay with me?”

“While you get checked out but I have to be in there with you while you’re questioned since you’re still a minor but he’ll just be on the other side of the door, okay?” Detective Lance offered.

Nora nodded and looked at the officer that brought her in. “Thank you, umm, for giving us a ride… I’m sorry I didn’t catch your name.”

“Detective Patty Spivot.” She smiled.

xxxx

Their night at the precinct lasted pretty much an eternity. Nora caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror in the bathroom and had almost totally and completely forgotten that the night had started with homecoming. It had been wonderful for a while, dancing with her friends and Ray and then sitting and talking with Ray before it had all gone to hell. She was suddenly reminded that she had intended to tell him how she felt before it all went down.

She had planned to leave the bathroom, march up to him, ask him if he could go talk in a quiet part of the gym away from a lot of prying eyes, and then tell him everything. Everything that had been building for months since she had been back, that she was just as in love with him, if not more. She met Ray outside the bathroom and looked between him and Detective Spivot.

Nora took in a deep breath. “Before we go… can I see him? Mark I mean…”

“Nora, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea…”

“I need to do this… for me, please.”

“I’m coming with you,” Ray said and wrapped an arm around her. “We’ll face him together.”

Nora nodded and Detective Spivot agreed, albeit reluctantly. They walked down to Mark’s holding cell and he looked up at him. There was a red mark where Nora had headbutted him and she was sure she had its twin above her brow.

“You have visitors, Mr. Lawson,” Detective Spivot said and turned away to give them the time they needed.

“Back to let me actually kill you?”

Nora settled her eyes on him. “I’ll never let you have the satisfaction your father got for killing my parents.”

“He didn’t kill them.”

“ _Yes he did_. It’s about responsibility, Mark. The person who pulled the trigger is paying too, but your dad is absolutely just as responsible. I’m not having this argument with you. You’re not worth it, I just wanted to tell you basically have a terrible life and I hope you rot.”

Ray squeezed her hand in solidarity and she gave him a strong smile.

“Oh and can you come here for a minute?” She motioned towards him through the cell bars.

Mark walked over to her, trying to tower over her even through the cell bars. “What, you gonna spit in my face?”

Nora smirked and shook her head. “Worse.” Her small hand fit just perfectly between the cell bars and she punched him straight in the eye.

Mark reared back in pain but then grabbed the cell bars and pressed his face between them. “You think you’re tough bitch, I still got family that can take care of you and make it look like an accident. No one would even remember the name, Nora Darhk.”

Rage surged through Ray and he found his fist colliding with Mark’s jaw between the cell bars. “Oh they will, and she’ll be remembered as the woman that kicked your sorry ass. And for so much more.” Ray turned to look at Detective Spivot who still had her back turned to them. Ray smiled and took Nora’s hand. “I think we’re done here, right, Nora? Detective do you think you could take Nora and I back to my car at the school?”

Detective Spivot turned around and smiled at them. “I’d be happy to. I’ll escort you out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for chapter five! Next chapter I think is the one you guys have been waiting for!!!!!!!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is the chapter you guys have been waiting for!!!!!

Nora followed behind him, his jacket draped over her shoulders like it had been at the precinct. She’d been here more in the last two weeks than she had been in the last four years and it still felt so much like coming home. And yet, she felt so exposed in his house after everything that had happened. She watched him make tea in the kitchen and she took the warm mug in her hands. He started walking towards the living room but she hesitated.

“Can we? Can we go sit in your room? I feel kind of exposed…”

“Of course, yeah.” Ray walked with her to his room and closed the door. She sat on his bed and sat the mug on his bedside table.

“Do you want to get changed?”

Nora looked up at him. “Into what?” She suddenly wished she hadn’t gone back to the Lance’s last Saturday.

Ray facepalmed himself. Of course. She didn’t have clothes here anymore.

He pulled out a pair of sweats that hadn’t fit him in a while and a science camp sweatshirt for her and handed them over. Nora placed the sweats in her lap and stared at them.

“You know where the bathroom is.”

Nora nodded. “I know but… I don’t know if I can be alone. Can you just… turn around?” Now that everything was settled, Nora was the one that felt unsettled. Mark would stay in his holding cell and be tried as an adult (after just turning 18 not a week prior) and besides the trial, she would probably never see him again and yet, she didn’t want to be alone, Ray was her ultimate safe space.

Ray nodded and turned. He heard her get up from the bed and heard his jacket hit the floor followed by her dress. She finally gave him the okay to turn back around.

Nora looked impossible smaller in his sweats and he gave her a soft smile. He sat next to her and took her hand. “How are you feeling?”

Nora shrugged. “Oh you know as good as you can when someone tries to act on a death threat they made towards you. I hate this. I thought coming back here would help me feel normal but it’s still just one thing after another. Do you think Mark meant what he said? About having people come after me for defending myself against him? What if they come after you? Oh god, Ray, I’ve ruined your life!”

“Don’t say that, you’ve made my life better, and I can take care of myself, as you saw. Besides, I would lay down my life for you.”

“You shouldn’t feel obligated to do so, Ray.” She sighed. “I’m sorry.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “I wish I could just be normal. Have a life maybe a boyfriend, graduate high school, go to college, marry said boyfriend, have 2.5 kids, but it all seems impossible.”

Ray sighed. He wanted all of that with her. He had since they were kids. Ray moved to wrap an arm around her and rubbed her bicep comfortingly. “I’m sorry… I wish I could do something, find a way to help you. Is there anything I could do? To maybe even get your mind off it?”

Nora thought for a minute. She had hoped when she had said all of those things Ray would understand that she meant she wanted that with _him_. She lifted her head off his shoulder and reached her hand up to cup his cheek. “Maybe one thing…”

“What… what’s that?” He asked, very aware of her touch.

“You could be there for me, through it all. Be the boyfriend I get and go to college with, maybe we can get a cute little apartment in Star City, get married after graduation, have kids, if you want?”

Ray was stone still. She wasn’t serious, was she? About offering him what he had literally dreamed about for years with her.

“Ray? Say something…”

“Nora… are you sure? It’s late, it’s been a day you’re just saying these things to grasp at something normal.”

Nora shook her head. “No Ray I mean it, I feel these _deep feelings_ for you. I want this. I want us.”

Ray couldn’t believe her. She was just assaulted, had been through hell and back the last two weeks. There was no way she actually felt the way she did. Not truly. She was mistaking their bond for something more. “I told you I’d take on the world with you, that I would always be there for you, you don’t have to make up some romantic feelings to keep me at your side. I’ll always be there for you, Nora. You go to college wherever you want and I’ll be there. I’ll be there to help you get ready for your first date with the man you’ll one day call your husband, I’ll visit you in the hospital when you give birth to children I’ll proudly call my nieces and nephews, and I’ll be there for every one of their games, recitals, competitions. I’ll always be your best friend.”

“I want more than that Ray, don’t you understand.” She closed her eyes. “I have been in love with you for a really long time. I didn’t know what to call it when we were kids but it was love.” Tears pricked at her eyes. “I don’t want to love anyone else, Ray. When we bumped into each other on the first day of school and you offered so much kindness right away, it all came back.” The tears finally started spilling over and she wiped them away furiously.

“I left my heart with you here in Star City. It’s been yours for a while. I wanted kiss you when I came over for dinner that second day, just stay with you and have you hold me. I wanted to kiss you when we got custard after my calculus test. You had some custard on your upper lip and I wanted us so badly to be more but I never would’ve dreamed you felt the same. When Mark left that threatening note on the Lance’s front door, you were the only person I knew I wanted to tell me everything was gonna be okay. And then that night when I watch you fiddling with your invention and muttering to yourself, I was overwhelmed with how deeply I was in love with you.

“When we were at the dance tonight, before it all went to hell, I wanted to tell you. I wanted to take you aside and tell you how much you’ve always meant to me. How much of a constant you’ve been in my life. How much I adore you. How much I love you. Ray, I am in love with you. I don’t want to get ready for a date with anyone else, I don’t want marry anyone else, I don’t have kids with anyone else, I want you to be sitting next to me during those recitals and competitions and games, as my husband, you’ll be my best friend always but I want even more with you.”

Ray was silent again, taking in everything she was saying. She loved him. More than just… as a friend. Really? Truly? He felt a hand slip into his and looked up at her.

“Please say something. If you don’t feel the same that’s okay but…”

Ray cut her off and reached out to cup her cheeks and pulled her in for a soft kiss. When they broke he smiled. “I love you too. I’ve loved you for a really long time. And I had no idea you felt the same. I want all of that with you, Nora, now that I know how much you want it...”

Nora smiled and pulled him in for another kiss. This was the first time in months maybe even years that she thought everything was going to be okay.

Nora sighed. “Can you take me back to my house? I want to get some of my stuff, I know Sara will either shack up with Ava tonight or not be back until really late. And Detective Lance has that overnight shift. I just… I don’t want to be alone.”

“You won’t. You’re never going to be alone again.” He pulled her in for another kiss. “Let’s go.”

xxxx

She quickly packed a bag, probably overpacked it, and ran back out to Ray’s car. She was almost giddy while packing it. She was staying with Ray and they were together now. She thought back to when she stayed with him after Mark left that note on her door and had wanted nothing more to just stay there forever. This wasn’t forever but it was the start of something.

When she got back in Ray’s car, she noticed how on edge he looked. She threw her bags in the backseat and settled next to him in the passenger’s seat. She touched his arm and he shied away from her touch. Had she done something?

“Ray… are you alright?”

“I’m fine… it’s nothing, did you get everything?” He asked without looking in her direction.

Nora swallowed hard and nodded. “Yeah… are you sure you’re okay? Did I do something?”

Ray finally looked at her. “No, of course not, you’ve done nothing wrong…”

“Then what is it?” She reached out to touch his arm again and this time he didn’t shy away.

He gave her probably the fakest smile she had ever seen. “Nothing. I promise.”

“Hey… if we’re gonna be in a relationship, communication has to be a two way street, babe, even if I didn’t do anything, there’s something clearly bothering you. What’s up?”

“It’s…”

“If you say nothing, Raymond Carson Palmer, I’m going to be very disappointed in you.” There was no real threat in her tone but she was overwhelmingly concerned about what was going on in that head of his.

Ray sighed. “I should’ve insisted that one of the girls went into the locker room with you. I should’ve pushed harder and because I didn't… Mark attacked you. You were in there alone and that gave him the perfect opportunity to try and… to try and… kill you.” The words felt like poison in his mouth. Because of his carelessness, Nora almost died.

Nora’s mouth hung agape. He wasn’t seriously blaming himself for this, was he? Nora reached up to cup his face in her hands so he had to look her in the eye. “Hey now, this is not your fault. Mark would’ve attacked even if Mona or Zari had been in there and they might’ve been hurt too. You didn’t know he’d be in there.” She stroked his cheeks with her thumbs. “You silly boy, I should start calling you Atlas with all the weight you carry on your shoulders. I’m fine, I am more than fine especially now that I have you as more than just my very best friend because when you’re rambling and apologizing for things that aren’t your fault I can do this.” She leaned in and kissed him, hard.

Ray eventually melted into the kiss and gave her a small smile when they pulled apart. “You’re gonna like doing that, aren’t you?”

Nora smirked and nodded. “You bet.”

xxxx  
When they arrived back to Ray’s house, his mom was home. She rushed over to both of them and hugged them individually. Sandy immediately took Nora over to the couch and started checking over her injuries.

“Sandy… that’s… really… they checked me out at the precinct, I’m fine. No concussion, I won’t even have bruising around my neck.” She appreciated Sandy’s concern so much but she was tired of being poked and prodded and questioned.

Sandy didn’t seem satisfied. “What about your brow bone, did they make sure it wasn’t broken? Granted it would be swollen by now but headbutting a teenage boy twice your size with a seemingly thick head probably hurt.”

Nora laughed at Sandy’s understatement. “Yeah… it hurt but I’m alive because I did that. Worth any and every injury I have. I promise I’m okay. If I feel off at any point while I’m here you’ll be the first to know.”

“Okay.” Sandy kissed the top of Nora’s head and hugged her. “I’m so proud of you for defending yourself tonight. You are so strong and I am privileged to have watched you grow up.”

Nora hugged Sandy again and smiled. “Thank you so much. Also umm… I’ll probably be staying the weekend, maybe until Monday if that’s okay.”

“Totally fine, I’ll make up the couch again for you.” Sandy smiled and went to grab the blankets and pillows. Nora thanked Sandy again and ten minutes later settled onto what would be her bed for the evening. She needed to still shower, text her friends a quick updated, and change into real pajamas and maybe talk to Ray.

One thing at a time.

She texted her group chat with Mona and Zari and told them to spread the message that she was fine and safe and would update them if anything else happened; then she showered and it felt good to shed all of her makeup and as it came off it felt like layers of herself were going down the drain with it. She felt so free.

When she got out, she changed into her pajamas and knocked on Ray’s open door. He turned around and smiled at her. He’d showered just before her so his hair was still wet and he was now in pajamas too.

“How are you doing?” He asked.

Nora shrugged. “A lot better.” She caught a glimpse of herself in his mirror on his closet door: she looked so small, in flannel pajamas, wet hair that was barely starting to dry, no makeup which made her look pretty scary in her opinion. The thought hadn’t even occurred her when she was just here the week before but now that they had moved in a romantic direction, she was suddenly self conscious of her appearance. “Sorry, I know I’m probably pretty scary to look at right now.”

“If by scary you mean beautiful than yeah downright terrifying.”

Nora blushed. “Are you going to bed soon?”

“No I’m gonna stay up and tinker with this some more but if you’re gonna head to bed I’ll come say goodnight.”

She nodded. “Okay.” She wasn’t sure what to do with herself. She had basically admitted she wanted to grow old with this boy and he had definitely agreed but what did they do now? What was appropriate? She knew he felt the same but she still wasn’t sure what to do with herself. She wrapped her arms around herself and walked back out of the room. She sat down on the couch and pulled the covers over her.

She sat out there for a few minutes before Ray came out. He sat on the coffee table in front of her and smiled.

“I figured that meant you were heading to bed and I wanted to say goodnight.”

Nora smiled. “I mean I’m not sure what else there is to do.”

“That’s a good point. Also… I know… we moved in a certain direction earlier but if you are having second thoughts I totally understand, it was a very emotional time for both of us.”

Nora swallowed hard. She didn’t regret anything. But maybe he did. “I don’t but I’ve also never done this before… I don’t exactly know what to do…”

Ray took her hand in both of his. “We’ll learn together. Just let me know if something makes you uncomfortable. I’m going to let you go to bed but I was wondering… can I kiss you goodnight?”

Nora smiled and sat up on the couch. “I don’t know what I did to ever deserve you, Ray Palmer, of course you can kiss me goodnight.”

Ray stood but then leaned down to kiss her softly. Nora cupped his cheek and pressed their foreheads together for a minute before he pulled away.

“Goodnight, Nora Darhk.” He squeezed her hand before dropping it and then placed a kiss to the top of her head as he left.

Nora laid down and turned off the lamp above her and tried to go to bed. The house was eerily quiet. His mom had gone to bed before Nora got out of the shower and she couldn’t even hear Ray tinkering with his invention. She wasn’t sure when Sydney would be back, he had to drop Rose off first and he had stayed behind with the rest of the group at homecoming. She laid there for a couple more minutes, suddenly anxious and exposed all over again, and got up from the couch. She walked quietly down the hall to Ray’s room. He was laying in his bed now, just staring off into space.

She knocked on his door again and he looked up when he saw her.

“I umm… couldn’t sleep. Can I stay in here tonight?” She bit her lip. She’d been in his room a hundred times, laid in his bed, even, and this somehow felt different, more intimate. Nerves ran through her as she asked the request.

Ray scooted towards the wall and nodded. Nora, barely having the self control to close the door first, nearly ran over to him and rushed into his waiting arms. He wrapped her up in an embrace and kissed the top of her head. She burrowed under the covers with him, laid her head on his chest and sighed happily.

“Did you feel unsafe out there? Did something happen?” He asked and rubbed her back.

Nora shook her head. “No, but after everything I didn’t want to be alone anymore and that included sleeping.” She looked up at him. “I don’t know what you see in me…”

“I’ve been in love with you since we were like nine. I see everything that is good and wonderful about the world. And I see someone I want to spend the rest of my life with.” He brushed a curl away from her face and kissed her forehead.

Nora placed her hand on his bicep. “I already feel so at home with you, Ray, how is that possible?”

“Not sure, maybe it was all the times you came over here to play or hang out, or when you stayed here after the note, maybe it was…”

“The fact that you’re the most wonderful person I’ve ever met and I’ve been in love with you also since we were nine?”

Ray blushed and looked away. “Well… I don’t know about that… also you have?”

“Oh yeah… I may not have known it was love but it was. And yes you’re the most wonderful person that has ever existed. Ever.” She cupped his cheek and pulled him in for a slow kiss. They laid like that, exchanging kisses for a while until Nora felt her eyes grow heavy. She pulled away and turned so they could spoon and have a lot more room in the bed. “Mmm goodnight, Ray.”

“Goodnight, Nora…” he pressed a kiss to her shoulder and settled behind her.

Nora closed her eyes, finally feeling safe for the first time in years and fell asleep.

xxxx

Sandy Palmer was always an early riser, it was always the same hour no matter what time her boys had to be up for school. On the weekends, she had to usually work early but today she didn’t have to work until late morning but was still up at her normal time. She walked down the hall and passed by Syd’s room, passed out after dropping off Rose, and then she saw Ray’s room, his door was almost completely shut. She peered in, just to check on her son, and found Nora in his bed as well… being held quite protectively by her son.

_Finally_. It happened. Nora must’ve told him how she felt. She _knew_ , she just knew her son wouldn’t be stupid enough to not admit he felt the same when Sandy knew he did. She couldn’t be happier for them. She observed them further. It didn’t seem like they had done anything… if she hadn’t seen this, she wouldn’t have realized they were together. They had barely touched each other when they came back last night, so maybe… just maybe… this was as innocent as it looked. Sandy wasn’t going to ruin this for Ray or Nora. So she let them sleep. For now.

Hours later, Nora stirred, feeling warm. She didn’t remember the couch back being so hard and lumpy. She opened her eyes and saw two strong arms wrapped around her. Ray. That’s right. She fell asleep next to Ray last night. It was the best sleep she’d ever gotten. No nightmares, just fitting comfortably in Ray’s embrace, dreaming about their future together.

She felt Ray shift behind her and press a kiss behind her ear. Warmth bloomed in her chest and she shifted onto her back to greet him.

“Good morning,” she said and cupped his face.

“Mmm good morning.” He placed a kiss to the top of her head. “Sleep well?”

“Amazing actually. Thanks to you.”

“So it’s Saturday… since we don’t have school until Monday. What would you like to do with your weekend, Nora Darhk?”

“Mmmm spend it with you?” She ran her fingers through his bed head.

Ray kissed her nose and then pulled away. “I think that could be arranged.” He brushes a curl out of her face and kissed her forehead.

Her stomach grumbled and they both shared a small laugh.

“I guess we better get some breakfast. And then I want to come back in here and just spend today with you.” She played with the hair at the nape of his neck and smiled dreamily. All of those feelings she had once buried were now bubbling to the surface and she loved that she could be so openly in love with this boy.

“Am I going to finally get you to try the coffee I make? I think you’ll really like it.”

“I have a feeling I won’t, but I’ll try it, for you.” She grinned and let him pull her out of the bed.

They walked into the kitchen, trying not to let themselves indulge in PDA knowing that his mom was definitely awake. Nora knew that Sandy knew about Nora’s affections for Ray but they hadn’t said anything last night about actually moving forward in a romantic direction and while she had been supportive in theory, Nora was now worried that Sandy would somehow disapprove in reality. Nora took her seat on one of the barstools in their kitchen and watched Ray start his coffee. Sandy walked into the kitchen and greeted them both.

“Good morning you two, how did you sleep, Nora?”

Nora coughed nervously. “Umm great, Sandy… thank you again for letting me stay… again…”

“Well I did say you could stay on our couch, but I wasn’t exactly anticipating you staying in my son’s room…”

“Oh umm, no Sandy, it wasn’t like that. I’m so sorry… I know I took advantage of your trust I can…”

“Nora, it’s okay, you two just be careful, okay?” She turned her attention to her son. “You, my baby boy, are one of the most pragmatic and responsible people I know but I also know you lead with that big heart of yours in all the ways that get you into trouble. Do not bring that girl home pregnant unless you two have been married and financially stable for at least two years, you got it?”

Ray swallowed nervously and nodded. “Yes ma’am.”

“Okay good. Now that that’s out of the way, who wants an omelet?” Sandy asked with a smile.

Nora breathed and sigh of relief and hid her face in her hands. Sandy knew about their very new relationship. She knew but she was okay with them. Nora felt Ray settle beside her and rub her back and then place a kiss to the top of her head. She took away her hands from her face and smiled up at him. He placed a mug of coffee in front of her and she took it.

“Go on, try it, I promise you’ll love it.”

Nora took one sip and her lips curled into a grimace. It wasn’t terrible but she also preferred her coffee with tons of sugar.

“Do you like it?” He asked, already knowing she probably didn’t. Ray didn’t mind. More for him.

“It’s not exactly how I take my coffee. I’m sorry, babe.” She patted his cheek. “But thank you for making it for me.”

“It’s okay if you don’t like it. I just wanted to share this with you.” Ray continued to stand close to her, a hand absently tracing its way up and down her back instead of taking a seat while his mom made them omelets. Nora leaned into him and sighed happily.

“Well then you can have the rest of this.” She chuckled. “Orange juice will work just fine for me.”

Sandy made them both omelets and said she had to get ready for work. She told them to tell Sydney whenever he dained to get up that there was an omelets in the fridge for him to heat up.

The pair sat at the bar top counter in the kitchen and ate their omelets in silence. Nora reached out and tangled their fingers together and Ray blushed.

“So… how long do you think you’ll be here?”

“Want to get rid of me already, Ray?” She chuckled.

“No… I just… you packed a lot but I figured you just wanted some space over the weekend but… if you needed to stay longer, I wouldn’t mind.”

Nora grinned. It was tempting to stay for the foreseeable future, play house with Ray, but she knew eventually she’d have to go back to the Lance’s, just like the last time, and the thought made her sad but she knew if she didn’t, she may get herself into the kind of trouble Sandy had warned them about.

“Let’s not talk about this until after school on Monday, okay? Let’s just let ourselves live like this for the next two days.”

Ray smiled. “That sounds amazing.”

After they both showered and got ready, Nora found herself lying on his bed doing homework while Ray sat at his desk tinkering with an invention. Nora thought he looked so cute, so deep in thought, and absolutely adorable. She reached for her phone and opened Snapchat. She took a picture of Ray, so lost in thought, saved the uncaptioned version to her phone and then sent it to Mona and Zari in their group chat.

_I could watch him do this all day. *heart eye emoji*_

She locked her phone and within seconds it buzzed, several times. She wondered if she was getting a phone call but instead it was several Snapchat notifications.

_Mona Wu replayed your Snap!_   
_Zari Tomaz replayed your Snap!_   
_Mona Wu took a screenshot!_   
_Zari Tomaz took a screenshot!_   
_Snapchat: Mona Wu_   
_Snapchat: Zari Tomaz_

Nora turned red, oh boy, she was about to get grilled.

She opened her phone to the group chat and rolled her eyes as she read the messages.

_Mona Wu: OH MY GOD_   
_OH MY GOSH ARE YOU FOR REAL?_   
_YOU AND RAY FINALLY?!_   
_MY SHIP IS SAILING!!!!!_

_Zari Tomaz: I guess after the precinct last night you went home with Palmer? Good for you, Nora!_   
_Just always remember: no glove, no love._

Nora shook her head. She was going to have to set the record straight.

_Nora Darhk: Ray and I DID NOT have sex. We will not be having sex for quite some time and that’s honestly none of your business. But yes I suppose you could say we’re dating. Not a word to anyone at school okay? We want to tell people when we’re ready._

_Mona Wu: if you didn’t want to tell people, why did you send us that?_

Nora Darhk: because I am absolutely smitten with this boy and I trust you both. But don’t tell anyone okay?

Zari Tomaz: aye aye captain

Mona Wu: Yes of course! Now if you’ll excuse me I’ll be spending the rest of my Saturday squealing about my ship becoming canon!

Nora closed out her app and put her phone aside again. Her friends were the best but also the worst sometimes. She loved them dearly and was happy to have made friends when she came back but she also was truly unprepared for what she was getting herself into.

She felt eyes on her and looked up at Ray. She met his smile and got off his bed. She made her way over to him and peered over his shoulder at his invention. “So what exactly is this that you’re working on?”

“It’s kind of hard to explain but… I also want it to be a surprise.”

Nora’s brow furrowed. “For me?”

Ray smiled sheepishly. “Yeah I mean… let’s just say… this will help keep you safe.” He looked up at her.

Nora breath caught in her throat. He was making something to help keep her safe? She wasn’t sure what to do with the information other than lean down and kiss him lovingly. She pulled away and pressed their foreheads together. “I said it last night and I’m saying it again, you are literally the most wonderful person I’ve ever met. I do not deserve you.”

“Hey now…” he scooted away from his desk and pulled her gently into his lap. “You absolutely do. It is I who is unworthy of your affections.”

Nora smiled, he sounded so much like a valiant but self deprecating knight. She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him again. “I assure you, Sir Raymond, you have done more than enough to win my affections.”

Ray swallowed hard at her calling him ‘Sir Raymond’ he thought back to when they were kids and would play knights and princesses in his backyard and their walkie talkie code names, and now she was taking that dynamic into a more… adult setting. Ray tightened his grip on her waist briefly, just to pull her closer and smiled. “Well, I suppose then I can’t argue with that, Princess Nora.”

Nora blushed at the name. She supposed it was only fair since she called him Sir Raymond but the fact that he remembered their childhood codenames rushed warmth throughout her entire body. “I think that you should get back to your invention and I should go sit way over here before I act on all the things I’m thinking about.” She gave him one last kiss before leaving his lap. She sat back on his bed and picked back up her homework, content to just glance at him from this distance as reminder of how lucky she was.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 7! Yay our ship is finally together!!!

Monday rolled around far too quickly. They agreed to wait until after school to discuss her further sleeping arrangements. Ray had driven them to school and Nora, so used to it being just them, almost told him to just screw school and take the nearest exit to anywhere but here. She held his hand the whole trip from his house to their high school, knowing that once they stepped inside they would have to limit the PDA.

With Mark still in jail, she knew she’d be relatively safe at school. His friends would probably still try to verbally harass her but that she could handle. One look in Ray’s eyes and she knew she could do it. They pulled up to the almost full parking lot and watched students file inside. Nora leaned over and kissed Ray, hard. She was going to miss being able to kiss him whenever she pleased.

The last two days had been paradise. Playing house with Ray was a dream and it filled her belly with a pleasant warmth as it foreshadowed their future. She couldn’t wait to take on the world with this boy. She pressed their foreheads together and kissed him once more before pulling away. She grabbed her backpack and got out of the car. Ray got out as well and pulled his backpack from the backseat.

“You sure you wanna do this?”

Nora wasn’t sure if she meant her and Ray or going into school. Either way it was yes. Nora gave him a confident smile and nodded. “And just in case that question meant us, I can’t wait until I can kiss you in front of everyone.” Nora winked and started walking ahead of him.

When they got inside, Nora felt eyes on her. Some were sympathetic, some were judgey, she felt Ray’s presence beside her, knowing he’d jump to protect her at any moment. She made her way to her locker and quickly exchanged some books before shutting it again.

“Well that wasn’t as awful as I thought.”

Ray cocked his head in confusion. “What were you anticipating?”

“Getting fruit and vegetables thrown at me for getting the quarterback arrested for assaulting me. Not my fault his dad was literally oh I don’t know, was responsible for my parents’ deaths?”

Ray wanted so badly to wrap her up in his arms and kiss her, tell her everything would be okay. “Hey…” he placed a hand on her arm. “It’ll all be okay.”

Nora nodded. “I gotta go to Calc but I’ll see you in English?”

Ray nodded. “Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you?” He asked and rubbed her arm.

“No I’ll be okay but thank you for offering. I’ll see you in a bit.”

Ray watched her walk away and sighed. He felt someone clap his back and looked up to see Nate. Ray greeted him and started walking to their first period together.

“You and Darhk finally…” Nate made a hand motion that resembled poundtown.

Ray rolled his eyes. “No. We have not done that but she and I are… dating. You can’t tell anyone though okay? We agreed to tell our best friends for right now and no one else.”

“I’m privileged to know this information then, big fella. Congrats. I know how long you’ve been in love with her.”

Ray laughed. “Yeah well I guess that’s what happens when she’s the only other kid your age on your block next to your brother and she always insisted growing up that when we played house I was the dad and she was the mom and Sydney was a weird homeless person we fed out of pity.”

“So I guess that means you like it when she calls you daddy…” Nate yelped as Ray playfully punched his arm.

“Don’t take a beloved childhood memory of ours and make it weird.”

“Sorry, I just saw an opportunity and took it.”

“Well, please refrain and respect Nora a little more, thank you.” Ray sighed and rolled his eyes and walked into first period with Nate.

When he entered second period, it was like all was right with the world again. There she was. His Nora. Ray sat down next to her and smiled.

“Hey, how was first period?”

“Boring math, death stares, the usual. Zari grilled me of course.” She rolled her eyes and pulled out her notebook for English. “How was yours?”

“I told Nate on the way, about… you know… us.”

Nora smiled. “Totally fine, Mona and Zari know and you’re totally allowed to tell Nate. In fact you could even tell an additional friend since I told two people.” She giggled. “I was thinking we could ease into you know PDA, start holding hands in the hallway and build up to stuff that’s a little more obvious, we don’t owe anyone else the news that we’re dating, they can just figure it out on their own.”

Ray’s heart swelled with pride at Nora’s strength in all of this. Without thinking, he reached out and took her hand. “That sounds like a wonderful idea.” He tangled their fingers together and stared at their joined hands until someone coughed in front of them.

Ray looked up to see Mona, on the edge of bursting at the seams. Ray chuckled. “Good morning, Mona.”

Mona grinned. “Hi guys! Wow! It’s real!” She tried to keep her voice down but her enthusiasm was hard to contain. “Also wow hi Nora how are you holding up I mean like I know you stayed at Ray’s house all weekend so I’m sure you were more than fine but how was first period? Did anyone give you any trouble when you walked into school? Cause I can totally… probably get someone to kick their butts because I am small and yeah I know some martial arts but not a lot and I’m sure I know someone much more qualified.”

Nora laughed. “Mona, breathe.” She glanced around the room, noticing that people had started looking over when Mona not so quietly mentioned she had spent the weekend at Ray’s and Nora ducked her head. “We’ll talk about this on the way to third, but I’m fine, thanks for checking in.”

Mona’s face flushed with embarrassment and she quickly took her seat in front of Ray. “Sorry!” She whispered.

Nora smiled. “It’s okay.” Nora realized she was still holding Ray’s hand and saw that the teacher was about to start class so she pulled it away. He looked a little hurt but Nora shrugged. “I need that hand to write my notes, Ray.” She rolled her eyes, secretly loving how smitten this boy was with her. Because she was just as equally smitten with him.

xxxx

_Nora Darhk is in a relationship with Ray Palmer_

And just like that. That small life update seemed to nearly crash her phone. Charlie, Amaya, Ava, Mona, Zari, everyone in her life was liking and commenting on the post and texting her furiously for details.

Nora rolled her eyes. She and Ray hadn’t even technically been out on a date yet. They had kissed, spent basically every day together either at his house or hers, and were even more inseparable than before. She loved him. Maybe it was too early to say that, maybe it wasn’t.

Her phone buzzed with her countdown reminder. Exactly one week to Ray’s birthday. She had it memorized of course, how could she forget the birthday of the most important person in her life? But she also knew she had a lot to do before then. The gang was going to throw Sydney and Ray a surprise party during their usual hangout time on Friday and then on Saturday, Ray’s actual birthday, she wanted to celebrate with just the two of them, if he wanted to of course but she was planning for an evening, just the two of them, to celebrate his eighteenth birthday.

Nora was brought out of her thoughts by a text message among all of the crazy notifications from her friends. A text from Ray.

_Ray Palmer: Just texting to remind you that you’re amazing and beautiful and I miss you._

Nora grinned stupidly and sat up in bed. It was late at night and while she would love nothing more than to sneak over to Ray’s, she really shouldn’t. She got enough crap from Sara and Ava about how quickly she and Ray had become nauseating. It wasn’t like they made out in front of the group. They actually hadn’t been able to hang out in the group at the same time since homecoming. One Friday Nora was busy and the next Ray was. This upcoming Friday was the party.

_Nora Darhk: Well you should’ve ditched your robotics competition and hung out with us!_   
_Ray: How else am I supposed to have accomplishments to impress my amazing girlfriend with if I don’t show up to achieve them?_   
_Nora: You impress me plenty by continuing to date me._   
_Ray: Nora…_   
_Nora: Ray…_   
_Ray: You’re everything to me, never forget that._   
_Nora: You really should have other priorities, you silly boy._   
_Ray: Nope, sorry it’s just you :)_   
_Nora: Well, I am making homework a priority for you by going to bed now. I’ll see you tomorrow? Still on for the movies?_   
_Ray: I am more than ready for our first official date. Even if we’re technically already Facebook official._   
_Nora: I’m sorry, you were the one that insisted you “date me properly”_   
_Ray: And you were the one that made us Facebook official._   
_Nora: We’ve been in love with each other since we were nine. I think we’re allowed to jump the gun a bit._   
_Ray: I thought you were going to bed? ;)_   
_Nora: Don’t try and turn this on me! But yes I am. Goodnight, Ray._   
_Ray: goodnight Nora <3 :*_

xxxx

The gang was all here. Everyone gathered at the Lance’s an hour early so when the boys got there, it would all be ready. Well they hoped… there were some creative differences when it came to the party decorations.

“What's wrong with balloons AND streamers, Amaya?” Rose asked.

Amaya sighed. “It’ll look too overcrowded, besides, if we just let balloons float wherever and not anchor them down, they could be a hazard.”

“Well I think we should risk it. I don’t really think a stray balloon is gonna like cause a house fire, jeez.”

“Ugh fine but you’re so responsible if anything happens.” Amaya groaned and walked over to her twin.

Nora went over to Rose and offered a kind smile. “I like the idea. The more the merrier. The guys will feel so appreciated.”

“Thanks Nora! At least SOMEONE appreciates my idea.”

“She’s only agreeing cause you two are sleeping with the birthday boys, respectively of course,” Sara said as she helped Ava secure a streamer.

Nora rolled her eyes. “Not true and we’re not sleeping together, not that that’s any of your business.”

Rose nudged her. “If you ever need any ahem, tips on how to handle a Palmer boy…” She was cut off by Nora putting a hand in her face.

“Thanks but I’m good.” Nora grimaced. She did _not_ want to discuss her sex life with anyone, at all, she was still unsure about when to even broach the subject with Ray, so she wasn’t going to talk about it with a giant co-ed group.

Mona, who was standing by the door to keep watch, squealed. “They’re here!!! Everyone hide!”

Everyone got in position except Mona and Nora sighed and shook her head. “Mona! That means you too!” Nora hissed.

“Oh! Right!” Mona shut off the lights and scurried over to hide behind the couch next to Nora.

They heard the front door open and Sydney and Ray muttering to each other about it being dark and about there being no one in the living room.

Ray flicked on the lights and everyone jumped out from behind the furniture they were hiding behind.

“SURPRISE!!!” Everyone cheered.

Ray and Sydney looked completely and utterly shocked; ecstatic and surprised.

Nora went over to her boyfriend and Rose did the same. They took their boyfriends by the arm and kissed them.

“Happy birthday, guys!” Nora grinned.

“You guys did all of this for us? You shouldn’t have!” Ray exclaimed.

“Oh but we wanted to! Or at least Nora and Rose insisted we did…” Sara elbowed Nate and he stopped talking.

“Well we’re very touched and very surprised, right bro?” Sydney asked.

Ray flashed his twin a smile. “You bet.”

xxxx

Nora made sure everyone was scarce. His mom, Sydney, everyone. She finishing hanging the fairy lights outside on the patio of the Palmer residence and stepped down to admire her work. She smoothed down her sweater dress she got specifically for the occasion and walked back into the house. She had made baked chicken soup in a crock pot Sandy graciously let her use and stirred it so the rice wouldn’t stick. Nora went back out to the back patio and started up the firepit. Late October made it chilly but she wanted the ambiance of the night to be perfect and cozy for Ray.

She heard the front door open and smiled, hoping he would follow the instructions and trail she left for him.

Ray came back, finally, why in the world did Nate keep him from leaving all afternoon. He hadn’t seen Nora since last night and since apparently he wasn’t spending his actual birthday with his family, he just wanted his girlfriend. He immediately was greeted with the smell of something in the crock pot and noticed the flower petals on the ground that trailed through the house and to the backyard. He noticed as he was about to hang up his coat there was a sticky note on the back of the front door.

_Keep your coat on and meet me out back. -Nora <3_

Ray smiled and made his way to the backyard. His eyes widened as he saw what Nora had done to the back patio. It was beautiful, and then, standing there under the fairy lights, was his Nora, the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

“You look… wow…”

Nora smiled and went to him. “Happy birthday, Ray.” She stood up on her tip toes and kissed him softly. “I hope you like your birthday evening.” She stepped away and took his hand. She led him into the kitchen and passed him a soup bowl. She opened the crock pot and revealed a milky-white soup with rice and chicken and grabbed the ladle. She plated his soup and then her own.

She did all of this? For him? Ray dumbly followed Nora back out to the patio and sat across from her after pulling out her chair for her. Nora pulled something from a bucket at their feet. Sparkling grape juice. Ray laughed as she produced two champagne glasses and filled each of them. She handed one to him and held hers out to toast.

“To the most wonderful, amazing, kind, genuine person I know. I am so proud to call you my best friend and I am so privileged to call you my boyfriend. Happy birthday, Ray.” They toasted and each took a sip from their glass.

“Nora… I can’t believe you did all of this… you’re absolutely wonderful, thank you so much. I love this. You didn’t have to do all of this though, I’m more than content to just curl up with you in sweatpants and watch _Singin In the Rain_ while eating pizza, you know that.”

“I know… but I wanted to. You’re so amazing and you’ve done so much for me and it’s your birthday, Ray! You deserve to be celebrated.”

“I guess I know why my mom didn’t even want to hang out with me on my birthday.”

Nora giggled. “Yeah, Sandy helped me earlier today with the soup and the decorations but she made herself scarce so it could be just us.” Nora took his hand from across the table. “I was thinking too, after we finish dinner we could go over to the firepit, make some s’mores then you could open your presents and we could end the night with watch _Singin in the Rain_?”

Ray shook his head and laughed. “Presents? Plural? Nora you didn’t have to…”

“I wanted to. Besides, your mom will just give you your presents tomorrow so really it’s a birthday weekend for you and for Sydney.”

“I don’t deserve this… you’re so wonderful to me.” Ray leaned over the table and kissed her softly.

“Yes you do, now eat your soup! I worked hard on that!”

xxxx

They eventually moved to the fire pit after cleaning up dinner and doing the dishes. Ray and Nora curled up on a bench in front of the fire pit and Nora pulled two bags, one large, one small, from behind them on the ground. She handed him the smaller of the two bags first.

Ray gave Nora a look. “You didn’t have to do this…”

“Yes, I did, and I worked hard on both of these things so open your presents, Palmer.” She nudged him playfully.

Ray pulled out something wrapped in tissue paper and carefully peeled it away. When he opened it, there was a picture frame with two picture slots. Underneath in script said _Then & Now_ and on the left was a picture from when they were kids at his eighth birthday party, cheesing at the camera with arms around each other and the other picture was one they had taken recently, Zari had insisted that they looked “too cute” not to photograph and it was Nora looking up at Ray lovingly and Ray looking down at her in the same fashion. His arms were around her and they were outside with fall foliage all around them.

“I love it, look how far we’ve come.” He pecked her lips. “I’m happy that the little boy in the picture grows up and gets to kiss his very best friend.”

Nora blushed and shoved the larger bag into his hands. “Open it, before I start crying.”

“Yes ma’am.” He chuckled. Ray pulled off the first layer of tissue paper and gasped as he pulled out a blanket. Nora chewed on her fingernail as Ray gently unfolded it. “Nora…”

“I’d been actually working on it since August… I was so grateful to have you back as a friend I wanted to capture our friendship throughout the years, quilt big things I remember us doing together.”

Ray pulled Nora into a sweet kiss and she felt his salty tears on her cheeks. He was crying. Nora cupped his face in her hands and deepened the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried a hand in his hair and he did the same with her. She moved into his lap and smiled. Ray grinned playfully and wrapped them both up in the quilt, _to keep warm_ , he had said and Nora just laughed and went back to kissing him.

They stayed like that for another few minutes until Nora pulled away and cupped his face in her hands again. She held his face delicately between her hands and looking into his eyes with so much love and adoration. She took in a deep breath and said, “Ray… I love you.”

Ray smiled and traced his fingers up and down her spine. “I love you too, Nora.”

“I know… when we admitted how we felt we had said it but… there were a lot of feelings floating around that night and I just wanted you to know that I am hopelessly and completely in love with you, Ray Palmer and I never want to go another day without telling you that I love you.”

Ray kissed her again and pressed their foreheads together. “Me neither. Your kiss is sweeter than any s’more I could possibly ever have but were you still wanting one?”

Nora nodded. “Mmm we can share and then maybe go inside and watch the movie?”

“I’ll go anywhere with you.” He kissed the top of her head.

Nora blushed and shifted off his lap but kept the quilt around them both. She prepared a marshmallow and held it over the firepit. She roasted it to perfection and Ray got the graham cracker and chocolate ready. She placed the roasted marshmallow onto the chocolate and Ray pressed the top graham cracker onto the marshmallow and pulled it off the stick. He handed it to Nora so she could take the first bite.

She bit into it and then offered it to him. She let him finish it and curled into his side, content to just soak up her time with him.

“So…” she finally said a few minutes later. “Are you having a good birthday?”

Ray pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “The best.” He pulled her closer and sighed happily. “Wanna go inside?”

Nora nodded. “Sure thing.” She stood and offered him her hand and then put out the fire in the fire pit then walked hand in hand inside.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ray and Nora get jobs, Zari is in a lesbian panic, Halloween! and Darhkatom gets a little saucy at the end. Enjoy!

_Ray Palmer: I got the job at the library!_   
_Nora Darhk: that’s great baby! Congrats!_   
_Ray: I know that probably means it’ll cut into how often we can hang out but…_   
_Nora: that’ll just make the time we do all the more special. :)_   
_Ray: that’s true! ^_^ did you finish the application for Jitters?_   
_Nora: Yeah, I doubt I’ll get the job though, I’m pretty clumsy. Plus I don’t have like any decent references._   
_Ray: hey now, don’t talk about my girlfriend like that. She can do anything and that includes get this job!_   
_Nora: you’re too nice to me_   
_Ray: never. As for references maybe you could ask Detective West? I’m sure Detective Lance knows him well enough cause doesn’t his daughter work at Jitters?_   
_Nora: Oh yeah! Iris! That’s a great idea! Thanks babe!_   
_Ray: that’s what I’m here for_   
_Nora: even though you getting that job means you’ll be there less :(_   
_Ray: you can always come see me and we close early on Sunday’s and we’re closed on all national holidays. You’ll see me plenty._   
_Nora: babe :(((((( not enough_   
_Ray: I’m sorry. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. But at least this way if you get the job at Jitters you’ll be as busy as me. Won’t have time to miss me if you’re being an amazing barista._   
_Nora: don’t try and make this positive, I wanna wallow. :(_   
_Ray: what if I came over and we watched Grease 2 instead? I know it’s your favorite._   
_Nora: :DDDD yes please! And bring Papa Joe’s pizza with you or you’ll be denied entry._   
_Ray: of course, my love._   
_Nora: love you, see you soon!_   
_Ray: you better not just be loving me because I’m bringing you pizza._   
_Nora: never! I’ll love you if you never eat pizza with me ever again… okay maybe that’s a lie._   
_Ray: NORA!_   
_Nora: I’m kidding! I’ll always love you, now order that pizza and get your butt over here! I’m hungry for you and the pizza!_   
_Ray: I like it when you’re bossy. ;) I’ll be there soon. Love you!_

xxxx

Nora stood there awkwardly, waiting for Iris to meet her at the end of the coffee bar. She had an interview. This was weird. She never thought she’d get to a point in her life where she’d have a normal job but here she was, the smell of coffee overwhelming her, as she stood with her too thin resume tucked under her arm. She fiddled with the strap of her crossbody and pulled at the hem of her sweater out of nervousness. Finally Iris walked over and greeted Nora with a smile.

“Hey, lets go over to that corner table and we’ll get started!”

Nora followed Iris to the table and sat across from her.

“Nervous?” Iris asked in a seasoned tone.

“A little.” Nora tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“I was too and I didn’t really know anyone that worked here and I may have tripped, bumped into a table, and knocked over the condiments sitting on it.” Iris chuckled.

Sharing the story eased Nora’s nerves a little bit and she sagged back into the chair some. “Well that makes me feel better that you don’t automatically discredit clumsy people.”

“No, gosh no, not at all. And I know for a fact you’re not that clumsy. Sara is more clumsy than you are by leaps and bounds.”

Nora chuckled and kept tangling and untangling her fingers to keep her fingers doing something so she wouldn’t let her whole body shake from nerves.

“So, why do you want to work at Jitters?” Iris asked in a more professional tone.

Nora shrugged. “I really like the coffee here and I know it’ll be good to have some money to put aside for college, I’m not sure if I’d be financially able to go otherwise.”

Iris nodded. “I totally get that. I mean… can I just be honest? My dad was telling me everything, I mean that he could, like all public information stuff don’t worry, about what happened with homecoming and everything you’ve been through, this isn’t like a pity hire but if anyone deserves to have a shot a good quality of life, it’s you, Nora, you’ve pretty much got the job, this was mostly a formality.”

Nora blinked. “What?”

“I’m being serious. I know you’re hardworking, Sara’s dad said so, I know you’ll be a good fit.”

“Oh my goodness, thanks, Iris! I really appreciate it! This means a lot, everything, thank you for taking a chance on me.”

“We’re happy to. How soon can you start?”

“Ummm as soon as possible I guess.”

“Sounds good, we’re used to working with student’s schedules so we’ll put you on the schedule and call you with your first week’s worth of hours by sometime tomorrow afternoon, okay?”

“Yes! That’s great! Thank you again!”

xxxx

Nora walked out of Jitters and headed straight for the library with two coffees in a drink carrier, well, she had hot chocolate, but she got just black coffee for Ray. Nora entered the library, grateful for its warmth in the cool October air and headed straight towards the stacks. She made her way down the aisle when she spotted Ray (it wasn’t hard since he was pretty much as tall as the bookshelves).

He was reshelving books when he spotted her. His smile brightened.

“Hey!” He greeted.

Nora smiled and handed him his coffee. “Thought I’d bring you some celebratory coffee to go with your hipster science-y aesthetic of working at the library.”

“Celebratory?... Nora did you get the job at Jitters!?”

Nora nodded and Ray engulfed her in a hug.

“This is awesome! I’m so proud of you! When do you start?”

“They’re gonna call me with my first week’s worth of hours tomorrow.”

Ray hugged her again and kissed her softly. “That’s amazing, Nora! Hopefully our hours will overlap that way we’ll get to see each other still.”

“I hope so! I think so… I mean I guess since we’re still students they’d have us on a similar schedule. I don’t know we’ll just have to see. I’m sure it’ll be an adjustment period.”

Ray cupped her cheek. “But we’ll get through it. I’m so happy for you! We’re both employed!” Ray cheered.

“And since you’re employed it would be advisable that you get back to your job, Mr. Palmer,” a passing librarian warned.

Ray broke away and rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry, Mr. Stein! I’ll get back to it I swear!” The librarian seemed satisfied with the answer and moved on. Ray looked at Nora sheepishly. “Duty calls. Thanks for bringing me coffee and congrats again!”

Nora pecked his lips and then his cheek. “No problem! I’ll catch up with you later, okay? I’m gonna go hang out with Zari and Mona.”

“Okay have fun! Don’t get into too much trouble,” he warned in a completely teasing manner.

Nora chuckled. “I’d only be in trouble if Charlie or Sara were tagging along. I’ll talk to you later, babe!” Nora exited the aisle with an extra pep in her step. She nearly bumped into the librarian from earlier and he just gave her a knowing smile.

“It’s good to see Mr. Palmer so happy,” the librarian said. “I remember when you two would come in here during our summer reading programs. Practically inseparable. It seems that time hasn’t managed to change that.”

Nora blushed. “No I guess some things never change.”

xxxx

They’d been at the Halloween costume store for an hour now. Mona has decided to go as a fairy and Zari was in serious debate over her costume. Nora didn’t like anything she was seeing, anything she tried on was either itchy or didn’t fit right. She gave up and said she’d figure something out or buy a pair of cat ears and call it a day. Now she was helping Zari figure out what to go as because apparently the prospect of Charlie being at their Halloween party seemed to send Zari into an absolute tizzy.

“But if I go like this, she’ll think I’m asking for something… super sexual!!!” Zari sighed and turned back around into the dressing room in the Wonder Woman costume she had tried on in defeat. Nora handed her another costume, a Greek goddess dress, and hoped this would be a winner.

It wasn’t.

Nora felt bad for her friend. She remembered what it was like calculating moves when she and Ray still hadn’t confessed their feelings. She wanted to seem like everything was accidental not planned and that took a certain kind of calculation. She wished she could just lock Zari and Charlie in a closest until they came out a couple but she knew that would absolutely freak Zari out.

“Why don’t you go as something cutesy? Like a ladybug? Not too sexy but instead adorable! And besides, you’re dressing up because it’s fun, not to impress Charlie.”

Zari sighed and held out her hand for the ladybug costume. “You’re one to talk. You haven’t even figured out what you’re going as yet.”

“And I’ll figure it out. But I’m not refusing because I’m in a tizzy, I’m refusing because I just haven’t found the right costume yet.”

Zari came back out, the ladybug costume a winner, thankfully and they told Nora to do one more walk through of the store before they bought their costumes. She sighed and walked around, avoiding the aisle with the motion activated decorations and found herself in the guys costume section. Nora thumbed through some of the costumes, wondering what Ray was planning and remembered he hadn’t thought of anything yet. Nora’s eyes settled on a costume and she grinned, immediately getting an idea for her own costume. Nora selected Ray’s size and rushed back over to Mona and Zari, telling them her plan. After and eye roll and an _of fucking course this is what you decide_ from Zari, they all three purchase a costume. Nora knew exactly how to put together her own now.

xxxx

The night of the party arrived a week later. Nora had let Ray in on her idea but decided to let the others be surprised. She went over to Ray’s to get ready and spent probably more time helping Ray with his hair for the costume than getting ready herself. When they were both done, they had Sandy take a photo of them and Nora sent it to Mona and Zari.

_Nora: the dynamic duo is ready for the party._   
_Zari: OH MY GOD YOU GUYS ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH WITH IT_   
_Mona: WOW YOU GUYS LOOK AMAZING!_   
_Nora: OF COURSE WE WENT THROUGH WITH IT. YOU DON’T JOKE ABOUT A THING LIKE THIS._   
_Zari: we’ll see you guys at party. I’m just gonna stop responding because I can’t get over that picture_   
_Nora: You’re just jealous!_

The party was being held in Nate’s parents basement. It was pretty much just their big group of friends plus an extra couple of people from their extended friends of friends group. Nora went ahead of Ray, since her costume looked a little more generic than his and opened the door to the large bonus room. She could already hear the thumping music and knew Nate had definitely been left in charge of both the music choice and the volume.

“He’s going to go deaf at an early age if he always plays his music that loud.” Nora laughed.

“Yeah well… I’m sure he’d take that over the beer belly he’ll probably get in college.” Ray shrugged.

Nora swatted his arm. “That’s your best friend you’re talking about!”

Ray gathered Nora into his arms and leaned down to kiss her softly. “I do believe that title belongs to you.” He bopped her nose when he pulled away.

“Oi, Superman, Lois Lane, can you not? You’re in public for God’s sakes.” Charlie groaned from her place at the chip station.

Nora laughed and adjusted her jacket. “Jealous, Charlie? Or should I say, Catwoman?” Nora walked over to Charlie and popped a chip in her mouth.

Charlie shrugged. “No, not at all.” Charlie’s eyes settled on Zari who was trying desperately not to glance at Charlie and instead tried to engage in a conversation with Mona over god knows what.

“Hmm well I think this dynamic duo is going to go educate Nate on how not to get the cops called because of a noise complaint.” Nora took Ray’s hand and dragged him over to Nate who was on his phone that was hooked into the speaker system. Nora yanked off Nate’s fedora and knocked on the top of his head.

“Hey Indy, turn the music down!” Nora shouted over the speakers.

Nate leaned in, offended at his hat being taken. “What?”

“I said!!! Turn the music down! We’re all going to be hard of hearing before the night is over!”

Nate rolled his eyes and turned his music down to a more appropriate volume.

“Thank you.” Nora rubbed her ears, grateful for the relief.

“May I have my fedora back, Miss Lane?” Nate placed one hand on his hip over the whip secured to his belt and held out his other hand for his hat.

Nora rolled her eyes and secured it back onto his head. “Yes, Dr. Jones.”

“Thank you.” He tipped it to her like a cowboy.

“Where’s Amaya?” Nora asked.

“Stomach bug. She didn’t want to dance and also eat tons of junk food only for it to come right back up.”

Nora frowned. “I’m sorry, tell her I hope she feels better, okay?”

Nate nodded. “Will do.”

Nora looked around the room then for Sara and Ava. “Where’s that foster sister of mine?...”

Ray smiled at her and wrapped a spandex covered arm around her waist. “Foster sister? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you refer to Sara as that before.”

“Yeah well,” She nudged him gently in the ribs. “Things change. Their house is starting to feel more like home.”

Ray kissed the top of her head. “I’m proud of you. So proud. For acclimating back here, wanting to find friends, not hating me, selfish I know, but it would’ve been hard to see you have a rough senior year and look at you, look at all of this!”

Nora smiled. “I am pretty happy with the way things have turned out. Especially with us.” Her eyelashes fluttered as she looked up at him. “Incredibly happy.” She pulled him in for a kiss back the back of his neck. It was cut short when she was poked on each side and jumped, then nearly knocked back into Ray when she saw Sara’s bloodied up face. “SARA WHAT THE HELL?”

Sara laughed and high fived an equally gored up Ava. “I KNEW I could scare her! You so owe me dinner!”

“You’re evil!” Nora shoved Sara’s shoulder gently. “What the heck is wrong with you!?” She couldn’t help but laugh. This was one of the most sisterly things Sara had probably ever done to Nora and she couldn’t be mad at it.

“It was all in jest I swear!” Sara laughed along with her, glad she wasn’t truly upset. “So… I see you guys decided to somehow continue to be the most nauseating couple to ever exist by dressing up as one of the most nauseating fictional couples to ever exist.”

Nora shrugged and pulled one of Ray’s arms around her waist. “We’re in love, so sue us? It’s not like you and Ava are any better.”

“That’s true.” Sara pulled Ava in for a kiss, trying to make it obnoxious through the prosthetic makeup.

Nora rolled her eyes. “Good, freaking, Lord, Sara. I can’t deal with you sometimes.”

Sara pulled away, some of her prosthetics now awkwardly stuck above Ava’s lip. “But you love me!”

“Sometimes.”

xxxx

The party wrapped up sooner than anticipated. Nate’s mom came down claiming the music was scaring off the trick or treaters and so the gang decides to call it a night. Ray and Nora made their way to Ray’s car and Nora helped him with the cape. It has been entertaining on the way there and was just as entertaining to move it out of the way now. They finally settled into the car and let it warm up.

“Back to the Lance’s?” Ray asked.

Nora shrugged, not really wanting this night to end. With their jobs now, time was precious between them. “Let’s go for a drive.” She offered.

Ray nodded and pulled out of the Heywood’s driveway.

They’d been driving around for ten minutes, weaving through the streets of Nate’s swanky neighborhood. When they finally left the subdivision, Ray turned onto a backroad he knew led to the beach. He could feel Nora’s apprehension at taking the route at night but assured her he knew it like the back of his hand.

They pulled up to a less visited part of the beach. To get down there you had to climb over rocks and there wasn’t a proper set of stairs so people mostly used it as an overlook instead. Ray parked the car and smiled over at nora.

“Beautiful night, beautiful best friend, what more could I ask for?”

Nora blushed and bit her lip. She thought for a minute and instead of verbally responding, she unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed across the center console and into his lap. She settled there and cupped his neck. Nora leaned in and kissed him, trying to instead convey her feelings in the embrace.

Ray got the message and kissed her back, wrapping his arms securely around her waist. Because of his height he had to keep his seat further back but it was still a bit awkward and close quartered but Nora didn’t seem to mind.

Ray felt Nora deepen the kiss and his eyes briefly opened at her insistence. Ray ran his hands up and down her back and then tangled one hand in her hair.

Nora couldn’t get enough of him. She’d seen him all dressed up in his Superman costume and then that combined with the images still floating of him in his tux and him in a tank top did things to her. And she wanted more. Nora moves her hands from his neck and ran them down the hard planes of his chest. He felt incredible and Nora sighed into the kiss. Nora finally reached where she wanted and palmed him through the spandex that hid basically nothing. She felt Ray groan into the kiss and smirked.

Ray couldn’t believe this. They had kissed, a lot, but this heavy petting was new to him. Ray slid one hand further down her waist to gently cup her ass, Nora squirmed pleasantly, liking the touch. Ray tried to not enjoy the feeling of her hand cupping him as much as he didn’t but he couldn’t help it. Ray broke their kiss and started peppering kisses along her neck.

Nora craned her head back to allow him better access and ground her hips into his. She felt ray move to unzip her jacket and gasped. Her hands flew up to stop him and she pulled back.

Her heart broke at the look of guilt on Ray’s face. Nora cupped his face in her hands and shook her head. “Hey… hey you did nothing wrong or nothing I didn’t think I wanted okay? Let’s make that painfully clear.”

Ray nodded, but it still didn’t seem to rid the guilt from his features.

“I’m sorry, I just… it’s a long story umm… well when I found out what sex was and all it entailed, I told myself I wanted to do that with one person. And one person only. My husband. It was the first real decision I felt I had agency over. My parents didn’t have the say in it, I’m not religious so that also didn’t have anything to do with it. I figured as well that it would also vette guys that just wanted me for that. I know you don’t and my life looks a lot different than when I made that decision and as much as I am feeling things that make me want to just continue this, I have to honor that decision I made.”

“No I understand, having agency over your life has always been important to you. Nora it’s really okay. I’m sorry if I assumed anything or…”

Nora placed a finger to his lips. “You did absolutely nothing wrong. I wanted this, maybe even more than you did, but then I realized where it was heading and remembered and… let’s just kiss okay? No harm done. We needed to have this talk at some point.”

Ray nodded. “I’m still sorry.”

“You don’t have anything to apologize for, I promise, but if it’ll help, I forgive you, even though you did nothing wrong and in fact made me feel incredible.”

“Yeah?” Ray cupped her cheek.

Nora nodded. “Mmm I’m gonna be having some very interesting dreams tonight, Ray Palmer.”

Ray swallowed hard. “Umm wow… really?”

“Mmhmm and I’ll make sure to tell you all about them next time we’re alone.” Nora leaned in and kissed him, hard. “Now like I said. I want keep kissing you, it’s just _that_ I don’t want to do until after I’m married. I hope that’s okay.”

“Nora, it’s your body, it’s your life, it’s more than okay. And if I’m the lucky guy, I just hope I’ll be good at it to you know… satisfy you.” Ray blushed.

Nora shook her head, this boy, “you’re all I’ve ever wanted. You better be the guy, Ray Palmer.” She kissed him again, ready to resume their night of exploring one another.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter nine! Enjoy!

Nora was sick and had to stay home from school. She had frantically texted him at about 2:30am, saying she was throwing up and her stomach had been upset since she had eaten dinner the night before. Ray wanted to rush over to the Lance’s and comfort her but Nora said no she just needed someone to distract her from the overwhelming nausea. They ended up FaceTiming, which Nora had initially been against because she didn’t want him to see her in such a state but he encouraged her to go and get some saltines from the pantry and some ginger ale.

She had done as he instructed and laid on the couch, her bedroom just _too far_ and laid down on her left side to help settle her stomach. She had explained her anxiety about missing school compounding upon how sick she felt and he assured her that he’d be able to get everyone in their friend group to take notes for her. She had Zari in first, him and Mona in second, Mona in third, Sara in fourth, no one was in art but they just worked on their projects, and Amaya was in her sixth period. She would be fine. She just needed to take it easy and make sure Quinten took her to the doctor the next day.

Now it was the next day and he had heard from Nora after third. She simply texted _Stomach bug :/_ and he promised to come visit her once she wasn’t contagious. Now it was lunch and Ray realized just how big of a gaping hole Nora left in his life. Before she came back, he would sit with the larger friend group, when she came back though, he opted to sit alone with her so she wouldn’t be overwhelmed. Now he felt like a lost puppy in the lunchroom. He felt someone tap his shoulder and turned to see Sara.

“Come sit with me!”

“Where’s Ava?”

“Stomach bug is going around. Not sure how I haven’t caught it, given that Nora and Ava have it.”

“Ohhh maybe you’re agent X! The carrier!” Ray joked.

“Maybe…” Sara rolled her eyes and sat at the end of a long table and Ray took his place across from her. Ray silently started digging into his salad, looking like a kicked puppy. “Missing her?”

Ray ducked his head. “Yeah… more than I thought I would.”

“You’ve got it bad, Palmer.” Sara pointed at him with her fork.

“Only all my life.” Ray chuckled. “Now that she’s been around all these months, not seeing her… it’s like I’m back there. On the first day of high school. Nora-less. We had these plans, we picked out exactly where we would sit in the lunchroom when we took the tour. I know it sounds dramatic but I just miss her…”

Sara placed a hand on top his. “Hey, it’s okay, when Ava and I sort of got out of our routine for the first time it was weird. It felt like something was wrong, like something wasn’t right between us but we knew what happened was out of our control. You’ll see her soon, bud.”

“I was gonna get some flowers and put together a bit of a get well care package after school then drop it before before I headed into work.”

Sara grinned. “That sounds like a great idea, big fella! I know she’ll love it.”

“Thanks… hey… thanks for sitting with me today, Sara, it means a lot.”

Sara shrugged. “No problem, sitting here since Ava is sick it made me feel a little less lonely too.”

xxxx

Ray entered the Lance residence using the spare key he knew was under an obnoxious frog statue and made his way upstairs to Nora and Sara’s bedroom. He knocked on the door and didn’t hear a response at first. He knocked again.

“Mr. Lance? I thought you were at work?” The groggy voice of his girlfriend floated through the door.

“It’s me, Nora,” Ray replied.

“Ray, I could still be contagious. You shouldn’t be here!”

“You’re worth the risk. I’ve got some stuff for you. Can I please come in?”

“Will you just stand out there like a sad puppy and miss work if I don’t say yes?”

“Yes.”

“Fine, come in but stay by the door.”

Ray chuckled and entered the room. Nora looked so small and sad curled up in her bed. Her complexion seemed a bit clammy and she was curled up on her left side facing the outside of the bed so she could easily reach the trash can on the floor next to the bed. Powerade bottles, saltine wrappers, and tissues littered her bed and the surrounding area.

Nora sat up, wincing, her stomach probably tender at the movement. “You brought me flowers?”

Ray nodded. “Flowers and a box of saltines and a couple of bottles of your favorite flavor of Powerade.”

“Orange!! Oh babe you’re the best!” Nora clutched at her chest in awe. “You didn’t have to do all of this!”

“I wanted to. I hope you get better soon, Nora.”

“Me too because I want to kiss you right now in thanks. You’ll just have to settle for me making out with you in my mind!”

“Haha, I’ll take it, I’ll lay the flowers on the dresser and go put the Powerade in the fridge. Sara is checking up on Ava but should be back soon.”

“You’re literally the best boyfriend! I love you, Ray Palmer. Can you toss me the box of saltines? I actually just ran out.”

Ray tossed the box to the end of her bed. “Well then I guess I have good timing.”

“The best! If I’m feeling up to you, I’ll text you when you get off work and maybe we can FaceTime?”

“I’d love that. Oh also!” Ray pulled something from his backpack, a blue folder. “These are all the notes I got from everyone for the classes you missed today! And they said if you couldn’t understand what they wrote to just text them.”

Nora could cry. He was the actual best. “This was so kind of them. I’ll make sure to text them all thanks. And I’ll make sure when I’m feeling better to kiss you, a lot, in thanks for all of this.”

Ray chuckled and blew her a kiss. “I gotta head to work but I’ll talk to you later. I love you, babe.”

“Love you too, see you later, Ray!”

xxxx

“Okay! The game is two truths and a lie, the rules are pretty self explanatory but you can’t use something you know you’ve used when we’ve played this game in the past!” Sara sat down in front of Ava and popped a chip into her mouth from the chip bowl on the coffee table at the Palmer residence.

Nora was snuggled into Ray in a similar fashion, with her back to his front and he had his arms slung over her shoulders and she hugged his arms close to her. “Who’s going to go first?”

“Let’s do oldest to youngest so we’ll start with Ray and end with Mona.”

Ray’s chest rumbled against Nora’s back and she looked up at her boyfriend. Surely she’d know what was the lie, sometimes she felt like she knew him better than she knew herself.

“Okay so mine are that I am allergic to cats, Nora’s dad once let me shoot his gun at a sandbag, and I have a tattoo of a corgi with a mohawk.”

Nora, who was taking a sip from her water bottle, nearly choked on her water. “I’m sorry my dad let you WHAT?”

“Shoot a gun.” He stuttered.

Nora shook her head, nearly in shock, the only one she knew she could definitively say that was true was that Ray was allergic to cats. Determining which was the lie was more impossible than she anticipated. Either her dad had liked Ray more than he ever let on or that was the lie and Ray had a freaking tattoo!

She’d seen him in a tank top so it wasn’t anywhere that she could see see when he was… normally exposed so…

“I think that the big guy has a tattoo but isn’t allergic to cats and Nora’s old man definitely let him shoot off a gun!” Charlie declared.

“Anyone else have any thoughts before Ray reveals?” Sara asked.

Nora tapped a finger to her lips. “I know for a fact you’re allergic to cats, you couldn’t stop sneezing when I tried to take that stray cat home with us when we were nine, I also never remember you being over at my house when I wasn’t with you so unless my dad quickly pulled you aside, shoved a gun in your hands, and said aim all while I was in the bathroom, I think you have a tattoo! And if you do, you have to tell us the story!”

The rest of the group was silent for a minute. “Okay, Ray, go ahead and tell us.”

Ray beamed down at Nora. “My girlfriend is right. I’m allergic to cats and I have a tattoo.”

Nora’s face turned red. “Oh my god, what the hell happened while I was gone!?”

“Yeah Ray,” Sydney grinned a knowing grin. “What _did_ happen?”

Ray rolled his eyes. “Syd and I turned sixteen and he wanted to get a tattoo. Mom only agreed if I got one too which thinking back I think it was because she thought _I_ would never agree to it but I thought why not have some brotherly bonding? And then I have no idea what I wanted so Syd and I decided each other’s tattoos.”

“What is it!?!” Sara asked frantically.

“It’s a corgi with a mohawk on my upper thigh.”

Nora bursted out laughing. “Are you serious?”

“Dead serious, right Syd?”

“Oh yeah, I can’t believe he just rolled with the whole thing! Mom nearly had a heart attack!”

“Let’s see it!” Sara begged.

“Yeah drop your pants and show it off!” Charlie cheered.

Nora held up her hand. “Umm excuse me but no one is going to see that much of my boyfriend unless it’s me.”

“So if you haven’t seen the tattoo…” Charlie started.

“Nope, we’re not having this discussion. You all aren’t obsessed with anyone else’s sex life so you’re not allowed to ask about mine and Ray’s and no that does not mean asking other people means we’ll start talking. This is private, please respect that.”

Charlie held up her hands. “Sorry, mate, just was curious.”

“Well please be curious about something else.”

“Yeah like your two truths and a lie, Nora! You’re second oldest!”

Nora rolled her eyes. “Fine… mine are: when I was in middle school I was really into Wicca, I prefer _Grease 2_ to _Grease_ , and I got in a fight with my foster sister once in a group home over nail polish.”

xxxx

Nora stayed after, to literally no one’s surprise and helped Ray and Sydney clean up. Sydney left afterwards to go pick up Rose from cheerleading practice which left Nora and Ray in the living room.

“So you didn’t get in a fight with your foster sister over nail polish? Or ever? I know you can have quite the temper on you, Nora Darhk.” He bumped shoulders with her.

Nora rolled her eyes. “Well, I actually did fight her but it wasn’t over nail polish… there was a picture I took with me, it was one of the only ones I was allowed to because it didn’t have my parents in it. It was a picture of us, the one from your birthday party. She took it and then denied she took it and when she finally did pull it out she proceeded to throw it on the floor and completely broke the frame. I punched her in the face.”

Ray let out a shocked noise. “Nora… I’m so sorry… do you want the picture back? I don’t mind, really, I’m sure my mom has that same exact picture around here somewhere.”

“No, Ray, it’s alright. I have you back now, in the flesh, and I have you in a way I’ve wanted you for a very long time. I don’t need a picture, besides I have probably over a hundred of us on my phone now.” She grinned sheepishly. “So I’m not short on pictures of us.” She wrapped her arm around his neck. “I love you.” She kissed him softly.

Ray wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her back. “I love you too. I’m glad we found each other again.”

Nora grinned. “Me too.”

Ray picked her up and held her in his arms which made Nora giggle.

“Whatcha doing, Raymond?”

“Holding my best girl in my arms.” He settled them onto the couch and Nora crawled into his lap.

“I better be your _only_ girl.” She kissed him and gave him a cheeky grin.

“Oh you are, you’re my best girl, only girl, most wonderful girl. You’re amazing, Nora.”

Nora cupped his face in her hands. “And you’re my best guy, only guy, most wonderful guy.” They sat there like that for a few more moments before Nora smiled lovingly at her boyfriend. “Mmm Ray, can we move this to your room?”

“If you’d like.” He smiled and simply stood up with her in his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist and laughed as they moved towards his room.

xxxx

Nora let herself into the Palmer’s house early on Thursday morning. Immediately the smell of turkey and green beans greeted her. And then so did her boyfriend. Ray pulled her into one of his famous bear hugs and she kissed him in greeting.

“Happy Thanksgiving, Nora.”

“Happy Thanksgiving, Ray!” Nora kissed him again as he sat her down. “Everything smells amazing, how long has your mom been cooking?”

“Too early.”

“I’m sorry was that a complaint about my slaving over this hot stove for hours so you can having a Thanksgiving meal, Raymond?” His mom called from the kitchen.

“Not at all!” Ray winced. “Hey I think the parade is still on, want to watch the end of it?”

Nora shrugged. “No I think we should go see if your mom needs any help in the kitchen.” She elbowed him playfully. “Get back in her good graces so she’ll feed you.”

“You’re right. That’s a much better use of my time.”

“Where’s Syd?” Nora asked as she walked into the kitchen with Ray.

Sandy quieted and exchanged a look with Ray. “Sydney left yesterday to go spend Thanksgiving break with his dad.” She said into a particularly angry chop of an onion.

Nora placed her hand over Sandy’s and smiled sadly at her. “Well at least this way you don’t have to worry about all the cherry pie being eaten before the festivities have even started.”

Sandy cracked a smile. “You’re absolutely right. And… I got that chocolate silk pie you like.”

Nora clutched her hands to her chest. “You’re the best, Sandy!”

“I do try.” Sandy winked.

xxxx

The three settled at the dining room table after Nora and Ray set it. Tons of food: mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, corn, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and of course the turkey decorated the table along with the festive table runner Sandy had laid out.

Ray plated both Nora’s and his mother’s plates before his own and Nora grinned at his kindness. She dug into her own food as they all ate in silence.

“So the Lance’s were okay with you coming and having dinner with us?”

Nora nodded and swallowed her spoonful of mashed potatoes. “Yeah, Laurel came home from school Tuesday night so it was a bit cramped… to say the least. So I’m guess they’re glad I could come over here.”

“I’m sure that you’re still missed!”

Nora shrugged. “They’re trying to be civil so Dinah came in right as I was leaving and it was… very awkward.”

“Navigating holidays when parents are split up is hard.” Sandy looked down at her plate and Nora realized what she had said.

“Oh god, Sandy, I’m so sorry, that’s the second time tonight that I’ve…”

“No, it’s okay. It was a bit sudden when Sydney told me the other night he wanted to spend Thanksgiving with David. Apparently they’ve been talking on the phone, trying to patch things up and David invited him. I didn’t think it would’ve been fair of me to tell him no.”

Nora frowned. “I’m sorry… that must be so hard.” Nora looked at Ray. “Have you talked to him at all?”

Ray shook his head and let out a sigh. “Honestly? No. Syd said he got dad’s updated phone number and wanted to contact him but I just knew that opening that can of worms would just hold me back in life. And I’ve got so many wonderful things to look forward to.” Ray took her hand in his and kissed the back of it.

Nora blushed. “Ray…” She smiled up at him and kissed his cheek. “You’re too sweet to me.”

“Yes and you two are starting to get a bit too sweet for the dinner table. It’s not dessert time yet so get back to your food.” Sandy waved a fork between them.

Nora and Ray both turned beet red and returned to their meal.

xxxx

Nora curled up on the couch with Ray, plate of pie in her lap, Ray was much the same. They had _Singin in the Rain_ on, to no one’s surprise. Sandy went to lay down after they had cleaned up so now it was just Ray and Nora.

Nora looked up at him and stroked his cheek. “Do you remember that first Thanksgiving when I snuck over for pie?”

“And your parents flipped out? Yeah.”

“They didn’t _flip out_.”

“Yes, Nora, they did.” Ray shook his head and kissed the top of hers.

_Nora, as per usual, climbed in through Ray’s window. Thanksgiving at her house had been short, sweet, almost clinical. Looked a bit too much like a perfect Thanksgiving commercial. Her parents had disappeared to their finished basement which left Nora to her own devices upstairs in her room._

_She had radio’d Ray once playing with her Barbies got boring and had heard noises from the basement so she bundled up then scurried over._

_Ray hugged his best friend and instructed her to stay in the room. When he returned, he had two plates of pie, pumpkin for him, chocolate for her. Nora gleefully took the plate and curled up on his bed. Ray put the tape in and_ Singin in the Rain _started playing._

_“Where’s Sydney?” Nora asked after a bite of pie._

_“Mom is making him help clean up everything since I helped cook and set up everything.”_

_“Oh I see.” Nora giggled. “He deserves it. Do all the gross nasty dishes!”_

_Ray shook his head. “I like doing the dishes! I just wanted pie.”_

_“I think you made a good choice!” Nora giggled again. “I’m glad I came over here.”_

_“Were your parents being scary?”_

_“No… well a little... but mostly I was just lonely. I asked my mom if I could have a baby sister to play with and she looked really scared. I guess that’s a no.” Nora looked quietly down at her plate. “But I have you so that’s pretty awesome.”_

_Ray smiled and wrapped an arm around his best friend. “You’ll always have me, Nora!” He grinned. “Always and forever.”_

_“Yay!” Nora leaned into her friend and turned to watch the movie._

_By the time the movie was finished the two nine year olds had put their plates on Ray’s desk and were dozing off. Their heads gently knocked together which stirred them briefly. Nora heard a loud cracking sound just as she fully registered where she was._

_“What was that, Ray?”_

_“Thunder. I think I was just thunder it must be raining.”_

_Nora looked at her best friend, tears in her eyes after a second clap of thunder. She threw her arms around him and curled up. “Sometimes I hear noises like that coming from the basement. I don’t like thunder because of it.”_

_“It’s okay, Nora, I’m here. We’re safe! Do you wanna get under the blankets? That might help.”_

_Nora nodded, her lip quivering. “Yes… I’m really cold, Ray.”_

_They burrowed under the covers and faced each other. “Do your mommy and daddy do things that make that noise a lot?”_

_“Yes and then I hear people crying. I don’t want people to be sad, Ray.” Another thunder clap made Nora burrow further into Ray._

_“You’re great at making me not feel sad, Nora. You’re awesome at it! Don’t worry, one day I’m sure you’ll live somewhere where it doesn’t rain and there won’t even be a basement!”_

_“So no more noises?”_

_“No more noises.” Ray smiled. “I could move there too! That way if you get scared I’m really close!”_

_“We could play house for real!”_

_“Yeah that would be awesome!” Ray grinned and pulled his best friend in for a hug. “We could always have chocolate pie and pumpkin pie in the house. Wouldn’t that be cool? Nora? Nora?” Ray looked and saw that his best friend had fallen asleep. He smiled, not wanting to disturb her, shifted in the bed so they could both lay there comfortably and fell asleep himself._

_xxxx_

_“Ruvé, I’m sure they didn’t mean to fall asleep.”_

_“They’re under the covers! I think they did.”_

_“It was storming pretty bad last night I’m sure it was just an accident.”_

_Nora and Ray stirred at the sound of their respective mother’s voices._

_“Mommy?” Nora rubbed her eyes and realized it was daytime. The sun shining through Ray’s window. Her mother, looking irate, stood before them with Sandy, Ray’s mom._

_“Nora Darhk, you get your butt out of that bed, right now!”_

_Nora scurried out of the bed and swallowed hard. “I’m sorry mommy I…”_

_“I wake up and check on you and you’re gone! A walkie talkie is on your bed and your window is open! Nora what were you thinking?! Sneaking out at all is bad and we’re going to talk about that but sneaking out when it’s going to storm! You could’ve been hurt by something flying in the air!”_

_“I’m sorry mommy! I heard scary noises and Ray had pie and we just wanted to watch_ Singin in the Rain _we didn’t mean to fall asleep, I promise!”_

_Ruvé sighed, realizing the “scary noises” were on her and Damien. “Okay baby but you can’t sneak over here whenever you feel like. You have to ask Mrs. Palmer if it’s okay.”_

_Nora nodded. “I promise, mommy!”_

_“Hug Ray goodbye, we’re leaving.”_

_Nora hugged Ray tighter than she probably ever had. “I’m sorry I got you in trouble.”_

_“I’m sorry I got you in trouble too, Nora. I just wanted you to not be scared of the storms and then you fell asleep and I didn’t want to wake you up and scare you more!”_

_“You’re my best friend, Ray.” Nora hugged him again._

_“You’re my best friend, too, Nora.” Ray pulled away guiltily from the hug and averted his mother’s gaze._

_Nora took her mother’s hand and silently walked out of the house._

xxxx

“Okay so maybe they were a little pissed.”

“Your mom was about to have a cow.”

“We didn’t do anything wrong! In fact! I only fell asleep because you helped me to not be scared of the thunderstorm. I didn’t have as much trouble with them after that.” Nora pecked his cheek.

“I’m glad I could help.” Ray sat his and Nora’s now empty plates on the coffee table and pulled her into his lap. “I always wanna make sure you’re safe and loved and okay.” He kissed her softly.

Nora wrapped her arms around his neck. “And that’s why I love you.”


	10. Chapter 10

_Nora Darhk changed the name of the group chat to: Brunette Babes Squad_   
_Zari Tomaz: Damn straight (only thing I can say I’m associated with that is straight)_   
_Mona Wu: How in the literal world did it take us this long to come up with that?_   
_Nora Darhk: Excuse me I came up with it._   
_Mona: Sorry, your majesty!_   
_Zari: Did we still wanna hang out tonight?_   
_Nora: HELL YEAH! Actually… I really wanna talk to you guys about something…_   
_Zari: Oh? Do tell!_   
_Nora: I will… when we hang out… so nothing is in writing…_   
_Mona: I guess I’ll leave my listening device at home._   
_Nora: Mona you better not have one._   
_Mona: I promise I don’t!_   
_Zari: I DO!_   
_Nora: ZARI NO!_   
_Zari: Chill, I won’t bring it either, just the extra buttery popcorn._   
_Nora: Good._

Nora let them into the house and they all filed straight into Nora’s and Sara’s room. They settled onto Nora’s bed and spilled out the snacks on all the empty space on the bed.

“Good thing Ray isn’t here or he’d be telling us just how exactly terrible each and every one of these wonderful treats are.” Zari grinned and shoved a mini powdered donut into her mouth.

Nora laughed. “Oh yeah and then he’d try to sell you on his weird coffee that somehow would fill you up just as much but like have twice as many health benefits. I’ve tried it. It’s nasty. Don’t ever let him talk you into drinking it.”

Mona and Zari laughed. “Noted.” They said in unison.

They sat there for a little bit longer, catching up about tests and teachers that bothered them until they settled into a comfortable silence.

Nora bit her lip, wondering if now was the time to bring it up. She looked at her friends and back down at her handful of pretzel sticks. She finally felt Zari nudge her with a confused look and she looked back down at her food.

“Hey… what’s on your mind?”

Nora swallowed hard, still silent. She felt Mona’s hand on her arm and looked on the other side of her at her friend

“You can tell us anything, Nora, you know that.”

Nora looked between her two best friends and sucked in a breath. “Last month… after the Halloween party, Ray and I… we went for a drive… we ended up at that cliff by the beach? The lookout?”

“Oh… _the Lookout_.” Zari gave her a sly grin.

Nora tensed up at the way Zari said it.

Zari realized Nora was not in the mood. “Hey… I’m sorry, go ahead and tell us what happened.”

“It’s okay… it’s just… he looked so good and after homecoming I’d seen him in not only a tux but then a tank top and then his costume left literally nothing to the imagination and I just… all of a sudden I was crawling in his lap, basically dry humping him and he went to take my jacket off and I _freaked out_.”

“What do you mean by freak out? Do we have to kick Ray’s butt?” Zari asked.

Nora shook her head. “No, I just realized that a long, long time ago, I told myself I would never do that with anyone other than my husband. And while Ray and I are nauseating and very secure in our relationship, we are very far off from marriage. And so I stopped him and he looked SO GUILTY and I felt terrible. Not in like a guilt and shame and like why the hell can’t I just let him do stuff but more of like I felt bad that we hadn’t talked about it before… I honestly had kind of forgot about it until I was grinding on him like a crazy person and he did the natural next step which was to start removing clothes.”

“Oh Nora… did you guys talk about it? You guys seem okay but are things like? Not actually okay?” Mona asked.

“Yeah we’re fine… I explained to him I stopped him not because I didn’t technically want it but because I just had to honor that first bit of agency over my life I got. But he made me feel so good you guys… I still don’t think I could ever let myself do that until we were married but…”

“You’re wondering if you’d be betraying that if you wanted to do other stuff with him?”

“Yes.” Nora breathed, it felt like she had finally revealed a secret she had buried deep down inside.

“Hey…” Zari wrapped her arm around her friend as Nora began to cry. “Hey… it’s okay… that’s what we’re for, to talk about stuff like this.”

Mona wrapped her arm around Nora’s other shoulder and the three friends huddled close. “Yeah you don’t have to worry about talking about stuff like this. We’re here for you.”

“I feel so stupid I should just let Ray have sex with me and get it over with. Isn’t that what all guys want anyways?”

Zari’s brow furrowed. “Hey… if that’s not what you want you should absolutely not ‘just let Ray have sex with you’. And I’m pretty sure after you guys talked he’s not expecting that, or wishing things were different. This is Ray Palmer we’re talking about. All of the signs were there and that boy had no idea you were just as in love with him. Trust me. He’s not wanting that well not in the way you think he does.”

“What’s the difference between now and when we getting married? Oh god that’s pretty presumptuous of me. _If_ we get married. If he hasn’t gotten tired of me blue balling him and gets it somewhere else.”

“Nora, you’re spiraling into a territory of complete and utter lies. I’m sorry but we’re pulling you back to reality.” Zari shook her head. “Ray loves you and he will wait for you. And please, you guys are totally getting married. I haven’t been so sure about anything since I was sure I didn’t like guys.”

Nora choked out a laugh and wiped a tear away. “You really don’t think he’ll just find someone else? Someone a little more… willing?”

Mona shook her head. “Absolutely not! When you left and we all sort of became friends with Ray in high school, I remember the first few hangouts. Ray sat in front of me in English and so we ended up getting connected that way and pretty much any small talk he’d make in class or at the hangouts was always about you. How much he missed you, crazy plans he had to go find you and get his mom to adopt you or something. And while he I guess at the time didn’t understand that it would probably be very strange for adopted siblings to become romantically involved, he only ever wanted you. And he’s going to only ever want you for the rest of his life. Sex has never mattered to him.”

“How can you be so sure? I mean like… I think we’ve… I think we’ve come to a good place with the actual sex thing but… what about other stuff?”

“I think that’s a personal decision, Nora,” Zari said, “I think it’s whatever you feel comfortable doing with him. And that is a decision you have full agency over. Just like the sex decision. You’re still in control. If you guys have set boundaries about what is definitely too far, which you already know, then it’ll be okay to figure out what up to that you’re comfortable and you’ll make those decisions together. And Ray will always respect them, I’m sure.”

“I don’t want to disappoint him or not satisfy him, you know?”

“If the situation was reversed and Ray didn’t want to have sex until marriage but was open to other stuff, would you be questioning it?”

Nora sighed. They got her there. “You’re right… I wouldn’t do that to Ray and he wouldn’t do that to me. I guess… the rest of this conversation should be had with Ray.”

Zari squeezed her friend into an embrace. “There you go. I think that’s a great idea. But we’re always here if you need us, okay?”

“Yes! Always here for you, Nora!” Mona squeezed Nora into an embrace from the other side.

Nora smiled and hugged her two friends. “Thanks, guys, this means a lot.”

xxxx

“ _YOU THOUGHTLESS OAF_.”

Sydney Palmer turned on his heel in the parking lot just as Rose got in the passenger’s side of his car.

“Can I help you, Nora?”

Nora poked him hard in the chest and glared at him like an angry bunny. “I CANNOT believe you would go to your dad’s for Thanksgiving and not only that but not tell your mom until the last minute AND not even take anyone’s feelings into consideration other than your own!”

Sydney crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m an adult, I can make my own decisions.”

“Yeah but you can also be a decent human being and at least consider how upset this would make your mom!”

“She didn’t seem that upset, she seemed to know that I am an adult and can make my own decisions, like I said, something certain people don’t seem to get.” He narrowed his eyes at her.

Nora stepped into his personal space. “Why would you open up that can of worms? Your dad was a selfish asshole that left your family, no need to turn into one just to spend time with him. You didn’t even talk to Ray about this either!”

“Ray knew our dad contacted me. Even tried to contact him.”

“Yeah and you should’ve followed Ray’s example and stayed the hell away from contacting him! You’re only moving backwards, Syd, and you’re just going to get your heart broken in the process.”

“I think that’s for me to decide and I have decided. My dad isn’t evil, Nora, he just didn’t make some great decisions when I was a kid, your parents on the other hand…”

“ _What_ did you say?”

“I’m just saying it’s a bit pot meet kettle. If your parents were still alive and you hadn’t had contact with them in four years, would you at least want to say something to them?”

“You don’t know anything about how my relationship was, Sydney Palmer, how dare you use them against me like that, that’s low.”

“So is yelling at me in the school parking lot for living my life.”

Nora glared at him and turned on her heel, rushing over to Sara’s car. She got in and threw her backpack in the back and glared at Sara. “Drive.”

xxxx

_Sara Lance: You need to talk to your girlfriend._   
_Ray Palmer: So she’s ‘my girlfriend’ but not your foster sister? Uh oh… what happened?_   
_Sara: Oh she and I are fine. But I saw her cussing out your brother and then she stormed over to my car PISSED. And she hasn’t said two words to anyone since._   
_Ray: What did Sydney say to her?_   
_Sara: No idea, I was already in my car across the parking lot._   
_Ray: Okay… talk to Nora first, murder Sydney later._   
_Sara: That sounds like an excellent plan. Oh and Ray? Bring me some custard too._

Twenty minutes later Ray was armed with a small grocery bag: a quart of chocolate custard for Nora and quart of vanilla custard for Sara along with dessert toppings, as he approached the Lance residence. Ray knocked and immediately Sara answer. Her eyes lit up at the grocery bag in his hands and immediately took it from him.

“Thank God.”

“That I’m here to comfort Nora or that I brought you ice cream?”

Sara hesitated as she already started to open the quart of vanilla custard. “Umm… that you’re here to comfort Nora?”

Ray fished into the bag and handed Sara a plastic spoon and rolled his eyes. “Here, ice cream goblin.”

Sara gleefully took the spoon and scurried down to the finished basement yelling at Ava about getting ‘the good shit’.

Ray made his way up to Sara and Nora’s room and knocked on the door which wasn’t closed all the way. It opened slightly from the force of his knock and he poked his head inside.

“Babe?” Ray asked quietly.

There was Nora, curled up on her side, hugging a pillow to her chest, tears streaking her cheeks. Her hair had been thrown up in a messy bun since getting home from school and she was wearing his navy blue science camp sweatshirt (that he definitely didn’t remember her initially borrowing) and black leggings.

“Ray?” Nora asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“What did he do?”

“I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Can I at least know if I have to find a way to murder him and leave no trace or will I just have to maim him?” Ray sat on the end of Nora’s bed and sat the grocery bag on the top of the small bookshelf she had at the foot of her bed.

Ray could see the barest hint of a smile at the corner of Nora’s lips at his comment. She sat up against the headboard and pulled the pillow into her lap and began to pick at a seam on the pillowcase.

“It’s nothing… I started it.”

“How can I help?”

“Just sitting here with me is already helping.” She smiled up at him and wiped away her tears.

Ray moved closer and pulled her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head and cupped her cheek. “If you want to talk about it, I’m here, if you want to just sit here, I’m still here.”

Nora burrowed into his chest. “You’re lucky that you and Sydney are fraternal twins or else I’d kick your ass out because you’d look too much like your dick of a brother.”

Ray chuckled. “I’m clearly the more handsome twin as well.”

“Damn straight.” Nora lifted up her head and kissed him softly. “Okay you really wanna know? Even if it’s my fault?”

“I doubt this is all on you, Nora, if you want to tell me, I’ll listen, no judgement.” Ray pushed a curl away from her face.

Nora took in a deep breath. “I kind of caught him after school in the parking lot and started yelling at him for making contact with your guys’ dad and how he was being insensitive for not realizing doing that really hurt you and your mom.”

Ray sucked in a breath. “Nora, you didn’t have to do that…”

“But Sydney was being an insensitive oaf! Especially to your mom.”

Ray stroked a hand up and down her spine. “Sydney made his decision and as much as it irritates me, I have to live with that. If he thinks contact with our dad won’t hold him back, then he’ll have to learn the hard way that it will or make it work in a way that it won’t. Like I told you at Thanksgiving, I have everything I need.” He leaned down and kissed her. “And I appreciate you wanting to make sure Sydney knew he had hurt our mom’s feelings. He can be kind of a dick about stuff like that in general.”

“More like just a dick in general.” Nora mumbled.

Ray chuckled. “That’s fair. Okay what did he say to you that will probably make me want to get up and end his life?”

Nora closed her eyes and looked down. She let out a shaky breath before speaking. “He made a dig about my parents… I said that your dad was an asshole and Sydney didn’t need to be like him to have contact with him and he said I was one to talk because my parents did way worse stuff than just walk out on their family.”

Ray sucked in a breath. “I’m gonna kill him.”

“Ray… no… he’s right… at least he still has a dad he’s got the option to contact. I’d need a seance or a blood moon.”

“Regardless, he shouldn’t have said that. And he needs to apologize. What you said was true, he was being insensitive. And it’s made me honestly kind of crazy. Why in the world could he possibly think it’s a good idea to try and build a relationship with a man that abandoned us. I think we’ve turned out pretty okay so far just being raised by our mom.”

Nora cupped his cheeks. “I think you turned out so incredibly wonderful.” Nora leaned in and kissed him. “Thank you, for coming over, and for being here for me…”

Ray held her closer. “Anything for my best friend.” He kissed her forehead.

Nora peeked over his shoulder and saw the grocery bag. She grinned up at him. “Did you bring me custard?”

“Along with a bunch of toppings.”

Nora kissed him deeply. “I love you.”

Ray chuckled against her lips. “I love you too.”

xxxx

“You think your brother is gonna come home and murder you?” Rose teased and bumped shoulders with her boyfriend.

Sydney tossed the soccer ball against the wall and it bounced back to him from his place next to Rose on the bed. “Eh, I don’t know. Depends on what he and Nora do while he’s there.” Sydney shrugged.

Rose chuckled and reached her arms out as the ball came back to them and caught it instead. She twirled the ball between her hands. “I think maybe you should apologize for what you said about her parents. I don’t think you’re wrong for wanting to contact your dad. I’ve always said that but you didn’t have to bring up her parents as a counter-argument.”

“But it’s true, isn’t it.”

Rose shrugged. “Doesn’t matter, babe. You can be a bit of a… what did she call you? Thoughtless oaf? Yeah, you can be kind of a thoughtless oaf sometimes. And I think you should apologize because of it.”

Sydney sighed. “I guess… I didn’t really know her parents, if anyone wanted to brave the Darhk residence it was Ray not me so I never really met them. Except that one time Nora accidentally fell asleep over here at Thanksgiving and her mom came whirling in like the freaking Wicked Witch of the West totally and utterly pissed Nora had snuck out.”

Rose looked at her boyfriend incredulously. “When in the world did she do that?”

“I think we were like nine or ten. Ray and I had separate rooms by that point so I more just heard what happened rather than saw. Ray was grounded for like a week though. He looked like a kicked puppy at all times. Mom even took away his _Singin in the Rain_ VHS.”

“Poor Ray.” Rose laughed, partially out of pity. “Regardless of what her mom was like you still shouldn’t have made that dig. That’s low, Syd, even for you.”

Sydney groaned and pulled Rose on top of him which made the soccer ball fall to the floor and Rose squealed and laughed. “Mmmm I guess you’re right.”

Rose poked him in the shoulder. “You’re such a dick sometimes.”

Sydney rolled them so he hovered above her. “Yeah well…” He tickled her sides.

xxxx

Ray let the front door shut behind him and made his way to his brother’s room. He knocked on the door and he heard brief muttering before his brother answered.

“Yeah?” Sydney leaned against the doorframe.

Rose poked her head from around Sydney’s bicep and looked between the two warring brothers. “I think that’s my cue to go. Call me later, babe.” Rose pulled Sydney down for a quick kiss and slid out and slipped by Ray. “Behave, Sydney.” Rose called back over her shoulder and grabbed her bag by the door and left.

Ray looked back at his brother and gestured to inside Sydney’s room. “Can we talk?”

Sydney stepped aside and let his brother in. “Sure, as long as you’re unarmed.”

Ray glared. “Jesus, Syd, you’d really think I’d hurt you?”

“After I pissed off your girlfriend? Yeah, kinda.”

Ray punched him in the arm. “You’re right and you deserve more than that but I think we should talk before I decide on anything else.”

Sydney held up his hands. “Okay, if you so say so.”

Brothers stood at opposite ends of the room in twin postures. Ray took in a deep breath and let it out.

“You need to apologize to Nora. For what you said about her parents.”

“I know.”

“You know? That’s big of you.” Ray guffawed.

Sydney glared. “Rose talked to me about it and encouraged me to apologize.”

“That’s because you do owe Nora an apology. I have my own opinions about you having contact with dad and Nora agrees and I know maybe she shouldn’t have ambushed you in the parking lot about them and she knows that but you still didn’t have to say what you said about her parents. You didn’t even know them.”

“I didn’t… and I could stand here all day and talk about my opinion of them but that doesn’t matter. I know I hurt Nora’s feelings and I’ll apologize personally.”

Ray nodded and pursed his lips. “Good.”

“I still think contacting dad and spending Thanksgiving with him was a good idea. He’s all alone, Ray. It was the first Thanksgiving he hasn’t spent alone in a really long time.”

“Yeah, try like ten years, and that’s his own fault.”

“That’s… fair… but he seems sorry he hasn’t tried to be a bigger part of our lives. He really wants to know how you’re doing. First hand. Not just what I told him.”

“And what did you tell him?”

“That you’re doing good, you have friends, passions, a great girlfriend, a full life.”

“All without his help or influence I might add.”

Sydney pursed his lips. “You really should just give him a call. One call.”

“It might not be looking backwards for you, Syd, but it is for me. I have my whole life ahead of me. With people who have loved and supported me for a long time.”

“Why can’t one of those people be dad?”

Ray sucked in a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Sydney, but for me, it just can’t be. I know that’s probably hard to understand but it’s probably about as hard to understand for you as it is for me to understand why you think one of those people can be dad for you.”

“We’re never gonna agree on this are we?”

Ray shrugged. “No, I don’t think we are. But I think agreeing to disagree is all we can do right now without bloodshed.”

“That’s fair.”

“And you still owe Nora an apology.”

“Also fair.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's a little short! The next chapter will be a bit longer... and potentially not at all what you're expecting for this fic but...

“Ray I promise I know I’m doing this right.”

“Nora if you don’t do it correctly the angle will be off.”

“Let me do it how I do it!”

Nora batted her boyfriend’s hands away from the blueprints spread out on his desk.

“I do know how to draw and sketch or was that the one thing you forgot about me in four years?” She smirked up at him.

“Oh well I umm…” Ray rubbed the back of his neck. “I know I just…”

“You know the science behind why this needs to be a certain way but on paper you’re kind of bad at proportions. It only works cause you write the correct numbers in the right spots.”

“Hey!”

Nora arched a brow. “You’re also the one that asked me for help with this. I guess that means you finished your other project.”

“What other project?” He asked.

Nora nudged him. “The one you were working on the night we started dating.”

Ray blushed. “Oh that.”

“Yeah, that, where is it?”

“It’s not done yet.” He stuttered.

Nora narrowed her eyes at him. “I don’t believe you.”

“It’s the truth!” And his voice definitely implied it was in fact, not the truth.

“Raymond.”

“Okay fine I’m saving it for your birthday.”

“Ray!”

“Don’t ‘Ray!’ me you did something incredibly amazing for my birthday, let me return the favor.” He wrapped her in his arms and kissed the top of her head. “I love you and I want you to have a good birthday.”

“Having a good birthday just means spending it with you.” She looked up at him and cupped his cheeks. “Because having you in my life, is better than any other gift I’ll ever receive.”

Ray kissed her softly. “I love you.”

“Mmm, I love you too.”

xxxx

_Nora Darhk: Answer my texts you goblins_   
_Nora: C’mon seriously my shift at Jitters starts in like five minutes and I’m already sad about working on my birthday. :(_   
_Nora: Zari? Mona? Have I done something?_   
_Nora: Guys?..._

Nora sighed and slipped her phone into her apron pocket and stared at the time clock on the computer until it was time to clock in. She didn’t feel her phone buzz at all that whole next hour. She wasn’t sure what she’d done to deserve Zari and Mona’s radio silence but it had to have only been a matter of time.

Maybe dating Ray had ruined her priorities. Maybe she wasn’t taking enough time to spend with Zari and Mona like she used to before she and Ray were dating. Maybe they finally had enough of it or thought that she was rubbing her relationship with Ray in their faces since Mona didn’t seem to take an interest in anyone at the moment, in or outside of their friend group, and Zari was in some weird limbo with Charlie and had been since she first met her.

Nora tried to zone out, let the monotony of her job pass the hours of her shift when in reality only two hours had passed by. She was due for her first fifteen in about thirty minutes and honestly it couldn’t come soon enough.

What would she even do on the break? Ray had told her (over text no less) that he found out last minute he was working on her birthday too. They had agreed to move whatever he was planning to that weekend but Nora wasn’t sure she could take anymore disappointing news on her eighteenth birthday.

Nora finally headed for her fifteen when Iris stopped her.

“Hey, Nora, happy birthday!” The older woman pulled her in for a hug.

Nora held on a bit too tight, it was the first bit of affection she had received all day. “Hey, Iris.” She smiled weakly at her. “Thanks.”

“Hey I was wondering if before you headed on your break you could grab something from the supplies closet for me and just set it out since it’s on your way to the time clock?”

Nora nodded, seemed simple enough. “Sure thing.” Nora smiled and walked to the supplies closet. “So what am I looking for?”

“Oh just turn the light on you’ll see it.”

“What?” Nora’s brows furrowed and flipped on the light. Hanging up on a shelf directly across from her was a deep red sweater dress.

The door clicked behind her and she panicked, afraid she locked herself in. “Iris? What’s going on.”

“Change into the dress and the knock for your next instructions!”

Nora jiggled the doorknob, nope she was definitely locked in. She eyed the dress suspiciously. She pulled it out of the dress bag to find a pair of tights draped over the shoulders and a pair of black ankle boots sitting behind the dress bag on the shelving unit. Seeing as how her only option out of here was to follow Iris’s instructions, she complied and changed. Nora balled up her work uniform and slipped her phone (which still was void of notifications from anyone that could tell her what the hell was going on) into the pocket of her dress. She pulled her hair out of the ponytail letting it fall into its natural soft waves and knocked on the door.

Iris opened the door with a gleeful smile. “You look great! Follow me.”

“Iris, what is going on?”

“When we initially made the schedule, I completely forgot it was your birthday today and Ray may have contacted.”

Nora stopped in her tracks. “He _didn’t_.”

“Hey no it’s okay! Come on, follow me!”

Nora grabbed her coat on the way and stepped out into the cold December air. She felt the snow under her boots and her heart nearly stopped when she was what was parked outside in front of Jitters.

A horse drawn carriage.

“What is this?”

The coachman tipped his hat to Nora. “Miss Darhk, I have been hired at the request of a Ray Palmer to escort you to your final destination of the evening.”

“Ummm what?” Nora could hardly function. “ _What the hell, Ray_ ,” Nora muttered under her breath. She looked back at Iris who encouraged her to go up to the carriage.

Nora let the coachman help her up and she settled under a thick blanket already sitting inside the carriage. She pulled out her phone to still see radio silence as the carriage took from the urban downtown of Star City to the suburbs, down an all too familiar route, she might add.

Nora watched as Ray’s house came into view and it was brightly illuminated in the pathway.

And populated with all of her friends.

When the carriage came to a stop, the coachman helped her back out and she swallowed hard. All of her friends were flanking either side of the walkway up to Ray’s front door holding candles to light the path.

They didn’t say much, which Nora could tell was especially hard for Mona, but she finally made her way up to Ray standing in front of the front door.

“Happy birthday, Nora.”

At the sound of Ray’s voice, Nora let the tears flow freely. “What the literal hell, Ray? Ignore me all day cause you’re planning this?” She shoved him playfully.

“You know I’m a bad liar so it was either this or spill the beans.”

Nora turned to her friends. “And he swore you to secrecy.”

Zari piped up. “He didn’t have to tell most of us explicitly that it was a secret.”

“He told me!” Mona waved.

Nora laughed through her tears and wiped them away. “You guys are the best! The worst but the best. Screw up birthday plans for this!”

"What can we say? We screw up things for the better!" Nate chimed in.

“We just want you to have a great birthday!” Mona exclaimed.

“Well you’re doing a great job!” Nora sniffled.

“Not quite!” Ray made a gesture and the group began to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Nora, badly, and off key, but Nora could not care less. This was how her friends were showing how much they loved her.

xxxx

Later, the group had dispersed to go home after standing out in the cold for a bit too long. Nora had tried to invite them all in so she could really spend the time personally thanking each of them but they all said it would ruin Ray’s plans and they would talk tomorrow.

Ruin _more_ of Ray’s plans? What else did he have planned?

Nora now was sitting on Ray’s bed with a steaming mug of hot chocolate across from him. She couldn’t believe Ray had put this together.

“Do you want your gift first or do you want to watch musicals first?”

Nora guffawed. “Gift? Ray, you’ve already…”

“Nope, I worked hard on this, I promise I want you to have it.”

Nora eyed him curiously. “Umm okay I guess gift first.”

Ray grinned and fished for a bag under his bed. He handed it over and Nora placed the bag in her lap. She couldn’t figure out what in the world it was by the weight or shape she could feel through the bag and pulled back the tissue paper and reached inside.

She pulled out a small rectangle with a circular hump on top like a computer mouse and looked between the object and him. “What is it?”

Ray opened the draw of his nightstand and pulled out an identical object. “When you tap it, mine lights up and vice versa, if you tap it rapidly more than three times, it’ll light up red on my end and it’ll tell me you’re in danger. Same thing if you place your hand on it for more than five seconds.”

Nora traced her fingers over it. “Why?”

“Oh umm… I just… I just want you to know you’re safe and if something ever does happen, you have a way of letting me know. If I’m away from it, it’ll send me an alert to my phone. And if you're just feeling lonely and too lazy to text me, you can tap it and it'll light up letting me know you're thinking about it. And vice versa.”

Nora swallowed hard. She placed the gift down and crawled into his lap. “You are for one, too smart for your own good. How in the world did a eighteen year old just think of that.” She smiled. “And all to make me feel safe. Make me feel at home. And giving me a way to just tell you I love you.”

“I just wanted to make sure Star City could be your home for as long as you wanted it to be.” He wrapped his arms around her waist. “There’s also something else in the bag by the way.”

Nora grinned and fished behind her in the bag, she pulled out a small jewelry box and looked up at him. She opened it to find a necklace with her birthstone as the pendant. “This doesn’t have a tracking device in it, does it?”

Ray chuckled. “No, I promise the beacon was the only thing that was a technology related gift.”

Nora took the necklace out and presented it to him. “Put it on me?” She turned in his arms and pulled the hair away from her neck.

Ray fastened the necklace and placed a kiss to her shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her middle and placed his chin in the crook of her neck. “Happy birthday.”

She sighed happily. “I think eighteen is going to be my best year yet.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! I hope you still like the trajectory of this fic!

Winter Break was finally here. The Lance’s were heading out of state to visit family the whole break and offered to let Nora come along but she declined, staying with Ray instead. She loved the Lance’s. Even calling Sara her foster sister, but being at Ray’s truly felt like home. Being with Ray truly felt like home.

Nora was laying on the couch with her feet in Ray’s lap as they watched some cheesy Christmas movie. She was only half paying attention until they could finally watch her personal favorite _A Year Without a Santa Claus_ but she enjoyed the comfortable silence laying with Ray provided. Sydney was spending Christmas with their dad, another decision that had made quite the upset in the Palmer household. The offer had extended to Ray as well, much like it had at Thanksgiving, but Ray once again declined, wanting to spend the holidays with Nora.

She was nearly asleep when she heard the doorbell ring. It was probably their pizza. Nora sat up and watched get the door and accept the pizza. He tipped the delivery boy and then walked back over to her. Nora was a lot hungrier than she had realized and immediately dove into the pizza box once Ray sat it on the coffee table.

Nora grinned at him after her second slice of pizza and he bumped his leg against hers. 

“Is your mom working an overnight shift at the hospital again?” She asked.

“Yeah, I hate that she works so much. I hope my job at the library is at least helping a little.”

Nora nodded. “Yeah… I hate that for her, too, I know it’s probably also hard with Sydney gone for the holidays.”

Ray agreed. “Yeah, I can tell it affected her when he seemed all too eager to jump at the opportunity to spend Christmas with our dad, at least he didn’t do it the day before like he had with Thanksgiving.”

“I’m sorry, babe.” She placed a hand over his. “I hate that this is how it is for you guys. But this way at least you’ll know what not to do in the future.”

Ray smiled. “Yeah… I mean who would ever want to give this up?” Ray pulled her into his lap and Nora wrapped her arms around his neck. “Not that… I mean… not that I’m insinuating we get married one day…”

Nora shook her head and smiled at him. This boy. “What if I was?” She played with his hair. “I already told you the night we started dating that I wanted a life with you. We’ve both dreamed about it since we were kids and plus…” Was she really about to admit this? “I’d like to at some point over break have my way with you…”

Ray swallowed hard. “I umm… I thought you wanted to wait until marriage… to whoever you chose of course, to have sex…”

“Ray…” She took his face in her hands. “I love you and my life has been so chaotic. I felt jostled around like a piece of furniture for four years and then when I came back, you were my only constant. I want you to continue to be the one constant thing I can count on in my life.”

“What are you saying?” He swallowed hard.

“I’m saying I just turned eighteen, you’re already eighteen… I’m saying we should get married.”

“What?!” He said in shock. “Nora… I thought after college?”

“Why wait when we know now? Unless you don’t want to marry me.”

Ray tightened his hold around her waist to pull her closer. “No it’s not that… are you… are you absolutely sure this is what you want?”

“I don’t have family, Ray. The Lance’s are great but once I graduate, I’m sure they will feel very little obligation to provide for me in a way a parent should. Despite your brother being a prick sometimes, you and your mom and even Sydney, you’re my family. You especially are my family and I want us to make that official. The fact that we can have sex will just be a fringe benefit. I know it’s never been about that for you and I love you for that. I love you and I think we should get married.”

“I umm…” All of her points made sense. He’d also thought about marrying her since they were seven and now ten years later the moment was presenting itself. “We should talk to my mom first… not really for permission since we’re legally adults but just talk it through with her, okay? And then we can see about getting an apartment after we get married, if after talking to her we still want to.”

“Really?” She grinned. “You mean it? I’ll do it. I’ll talk to your mom. You wanna get married too?”

“Yes. Yes, Nora I would love for us to get married.” He pulled her in for a tight hug. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too!”

xxxx

“You two want to what?” Sandy asked as they all stood in the kitchen.

Nora and Ray stood awkwardly together, afraid of Sandy now blowing her top.

“We’re legal adults mom, you really can’t tell us no.”

Nora elbowed Ray, now was not the time for him to be bold.

“Well yes that’s true but you still live in my house and you’re still on my health insurance…”

“And us getting a place of our own, getting all of that ourselves…”

“Will put you thousands of dollars into debt." 

“Not necessarily.” He shook his head. “I have a savings account and I’ve saved every single pity check from dad plus I always put away a portion of my paycheck. I crunched the numbers last night, I can provide for me and Nora, especially since she's got her job at Jitters, and it would be such a help to you for me to not be dependent on you.”

Sandy now looked like a kicked puppy. Nora had seen Ray make that face before. Sandy reached out and cupped her son’s cheeks. “I didn’t realize that the day when my son no long needed me would come this soon. But…” she looked at them both now. “If you both want to do this, there’s no going back, I’m not letting my son get caught up in a cycle of divorce. You two commit for life when you take those vows.” 

Ray nodded and placed a hand over his mom’s on his cheek. “I know mom. I love Nora and I want to marry her. And she wants to marry me.”

Sandy smiled. “Okay. Then I wish you both the best of luck. Once you all get married I’ll take you apartment hunting.”

“That would be great mom, thanks.” Ray hugged his mom.

Nora stood awkwardly with her arms wrapped around herself when Sandy approached her. “I’m really happy that my son found you again. And that you finally gave him a chance. I’ve never seen him this happy.” Sandy pulled Nora into a hug. “You’ve always been like a daughter to me, Nora, I’m honestly thrilled that you’ll officially be a part of our family soon.”

Nora hugged Sandy back, tight. She cherished every hug from Ray’s mom that she could get. They pulled away and Nora wiped a tear from her cheek. “Thanks, Sandy. I love him and I promise I’m going to be a good wife.”

“I know you will, please call me mom.”

Nora hugged Sandy again. “Okay, mom.”

xxxx

_Nora: I have something I need to talk to you guys about, in person. Can you meet me at Ray’s house?_

Nora sent off the text to the “Brunette Babes Squad.” Nora felt her phone buzz a couple of times and checked the group text.

_Zari: ARE YOU PREGNANT?_

_Mona: CAN I BE THE GODMOTHER_

_Zari: NO I CALL DIBS_

_Mona: NO WAY. I do!_

_Nora: GUYS. I am not pregnant. Just come over ASAP, both of you._

_Mona: Already in my car, so I shouldn’t stop at Babies R Us first?_

_Nora: I AM NOT PREGNANT_

_Zari: On my way too, I promise I won’t bring any baby gifts._

She heard the doorbell ring furiously ten minutes later, she rolled her eyes. Ray had gone to hang out with Nate and call Sara to tell them what was going on and now it was her turn to tell Zari and Mona. 

Nora opened the door and was prompted hug tackled by Mona. She laughed and fended off her best friend so she had air to breathe and greeted Zari as well. She shut the door behind them and led them to the living room. 

“Okay…”

“Were you just messing with us and you really are pregnant? I know you said you didn’t want to have sex with Ray until marriage but like he is good looking and we totally wouldn’t judge you for changing your mind. It’s your mind and your body and your decision…” Mona rambled.

“Mona, I haven’t changed my mind so oh my god, no, Mona, I’m not. Will you stop asking me that and let me say what I wanna say?”

Mona nodded quietly. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I wanted to bring you here to tell you guys that Ray and I are getting married and I wanted you both to be a part of it. As my bridesmaids.”

Zari and Mona both looked at each other, mouths agape. “What?” They asked in unison.

“Ray and I are both eighteen and we want to spend the rest of our lives together. So we decided to get married. Nothing fancy, just a judge and maybe a simple pretty white dress but I want you both to be a part of it. Ray is already with Nate asking him and calling Sara after he’s told Nate. So what do you say?”

They both screamed yes and nearly knocked Nora to the couch in a hug.

xxxx

Nora knew going with Zari and Mona to shop for bridesmaids dresses was a bad idea. Thankfully the department stores were already putting out prom dresses so they just had to agree on the same dress. Nora wanted them to wear red, knowing it was a good color for both girls and a sappy symbol of love. Now they were arguing over the dressing room stalls about the dresses not fitting right. Either one didn’t look good on Zari but amazing on Mona or vice versa. Nora thought both of her besties looked great in all of them but she let them figure out what they wanted.

Finally both women came out of the dressing room in strapless matching red dresses. The dresses flowed to the floor and complemented each girl’s body type.

“Well?” Nora asked.

“I like it.” They both said in unison. They looked at each other. “You do?” They said again. “Me too!”

“Oh gosh, finally? You two have decided?”

“Well I guess we have!” Zari grinned. “What about you, you’re the bride, do you like it?”

Nora nodded. “You both look beautiful and I can’t wait for you both to stand beside me.” She hugged them both. “Now let’s go shopping for some heels!”

Both women groaned. “Can’t we wear chucks?” Zari asked.

“NO.” Nora demanded and walked off to the shoe department.

xxxx

Nora wasn’t expecting to find her dress that day. She just wanted to get Zari and Mona’s out of the way before they pestered her about it but they ended up at a different department store and there it was. Illusion neckline with lace, capped sleeves, large keyhole back, simple and flowy. Her dress. She tried it on and it was made for her. Zari and Mona cried a lot and Nora knew that was the one.

She entrusted the dress bag to Zari because she didn’t want Ray accidentally finding it. She came back to his house and clicked the door shut gently. He was sitting on the couch watching a movie and she walked over to him. Her fiancé. She supposed she could call him that.

He saw her come in with a huge smile. Telling Mona and Zari must have gone well.

“Hey.” He greeted. She settled into his lap and kissed him.

“Hi.” She grinned and played with his hair. “How did telling your lot go?”

“Great honestly. There was about a five minute period where they were convinced you were pregnant but eventually they realized we’re doing this because we love each other. How did telling Mona and Zari go?”

Nora laughed. “Well that happened with me too, and then we went bridesmaid dress shopping for them and I may have accidentally also found my dress.”

“Really? Do I get to see a picture?” He laughed.

She swatted his arm. “No. That’s bad luck.” She kissed him. “But I promise you’ll love it." 

“I trust you. And I just want to marry you, even if you walked down the aisle in my science camp sweatshirt and leggings.”

Nora laughed. “I bet. Now, all you have to do is rent a tux and so do Nate and Sara and then we can go down to the beach and get married!” She grinned.

“We’ll have to get someone ordained to marry us. And get a marriage license. And do you want to do like a reception here at the house? We could do it in the bonus room upstairs?”

Nora nodded. “All of that sounds great babe. I’m sure we’ll find someone to marry us. We could always ordain one of our friends on the internet.” She grinned.

“Haha like who?”

Nora shrugged. “What about Iris? I think after her willingness to pull together your shenanigans for my birthday she’d probably be up for it!”

Ray nodded. “That’s a great idea! I’ll text her tonight.”

“Regardless, it’ll all work out and soon I’ll be your wife.” She said and kissed him softly to shut him up.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long awaited wedding chapter! i hope you all enjoy! Next chapter the story will be bumped up to M! Just a head's up! ;)
> 
> Also, their first dance song is "I Do" by Susie Suh if you wanna give it a listen :)

They didn’t think they could pull it together so soon but there they were. December 20th. Getting married.

The beach was warmer for this time of year but Mona and Zari were still complaining about the prospect of freezing. Nora didn’t care. Mona and Zari, along with Sandy, helped her get ready and do her hair in a simple curled half up half down and then her veil was pinned in place.

Nora couldn’t wait to marry Ray. 3:30pm was finally upon them and she made her way down to the beach with her closest friends and future mother-in-law. She waited around a large rock and Sandy offered her, her arm. Nora took it, nearly to tears, feeling fully accepted into the family.

The processional music started and Mona and Zari both walked ahead down to where Ray, Nate, and Sara were all standing in tuxes. Nora took in a deep breath. She could do this. It was just the eight of them. They had invited some of their larger circle of friends back to Ray’s house for a reception but right now it was just eight people counting Iris who had in fact agreed to get ordained and marry them.

Nora heard the bridal march start over the speakers set up and let out her shaky breath. She could do this. She walked from around the rock and into Ray’s line of vision, who was already crying, and held tighter onto Sandy’s arm. She took it one step at a time. One foot in front of the other like that catchy song from another old Christmas movie Nora loved. She saw Ray get closer and closer until they were there. Next to each other. Sandy kissed her cheek and Nora took Ray’s arm instead.

“We are gathered here today for a wedding I can personally say has been a long time coming. I’ve known Ray since we were kids and he probably talked about two things the most: his inventions and Nora Darhk.” Everyone chuckled and Nora blushed. She had _some_ idea but she didn’t know this boy had it that bad for her for so long.

Iris continued, “I just got ordained last week so I’m still not entirely sure what all I have to say but I think I’ll get all the important bits. Today we are here to witness the marriage of Ray Palmer and Nora Darhk, two souls that found each other earlier than most of us can ever hope for. They have decided to commit to one another and intertwine their lives for the rest of time from this moment forth. They have both decided to write their own vows so I will go ahead and let them recite them.”

Ray looked at Nora and Nora gave Ray the same look of ‘ _wanna go first?_ ’ And they both laughed. Nora gestured for Ray to go and he nodded.

“Nora… Iris was right, I probably talked about you more than I talked about my inventions as a kid. I wanted nothing more than to just sit with you, talk to you, make sure you were okay. I loved when we’d play house or knights and princesses or even just sat in my room and watched _Singin in the Rain_. All because it meant I got to get to know you. Spend time with you. When you left four years ago, I’m pretty sure you took my heart with you. I tried to cope and made some really great friends in the meantime but nothing was ever going to replace you. Any time I thought about getting married it was always you. And I’m glad we both got to a point in our lives to be able to do this so soon. I love you, Nora Darhk and I will honor and cherish you every day for the rest of our lives.”

Nora wiped a tear away, trying to not ruin her makeup, and smiled up at him. “Ray, my life has never been normal. I spent most of it in the dark for lack of a better term but any light moments I had growing up were spent with you. When my parents died I thought I was just cursed to a bleak existence, made to just coast through life until I like died alone as a crazy cat lady. But then I got the opportunity to come back here and I saw you again and it was like my whole life was for the first time filled with light. You were a beacon I couldn’t ignore. You were always there for me, expecting nothing in return. I love you, and I knew from the minute I came back that I loved you and I hoped and prayed that you loved me back. And then homecoming happened and I found you did and it was like my life got impossibly brighter. And it’s just be like that ever since. I’m so glad we’ve arrived at this point. I promise to always love you and be there for you, and I absolutely cannot wait to take on the world with you.”

Ray and Nora were both brimming with joy, itching to kiss one another and be pronounced husband and wife.

“Who has the rings?” Iris asked.

Nora froze. Rings. That was the one thing she forgot about. Ray didn’t seem phased at all and Zari nudged her gently and Nora looked back. She pressed something into Nora’s palm, a thick gold band, for Ray. Nora looked up at Ray and furrowed her brow. Ray took something from Nate and held up a slim gold band.

Ray got them rings. Nora could cry and kiss this boy on the spot. He was the best.

“Ray, if you’ll just repeat after me,” Iris said.

Ray nodded and held up Nora’s left hand.

“I Ray,” Iris started and Ray echoed. “Promise to love and cherish you, Nora for the rest of our days.”

“I promise to love and cherish you, Nora for the rest of our days.”

“In sickness and in health.”

Ray nodded. “In sickness and in health.”

“Until death do we part.”

“Until death do we part.” He started sliding the ring on her finger.

“With this ring, I thee wed.”

Ray grinned. “With this ring, I thee wed.” He slid it the rest of the way onto her finger.

Nora couldn’t believe it. They were one step closer to getting married.

“Nora?” Iris asked.

“I do!” And everyone chuckled. Nora blushed and coughed. “I mean yes?”

“Repeat after me.”

Nora nodded and repeated the same things as Ray right down to: “with this ring, I thee wed.” She smiled and slid the ring onto his finger.

Iris clapped. “It is my honor and privilege to pronounce you husband and wife. Ray, you may kiss your bride.”

Ray grinned. “Finally.” And pulled Nora in for a kiss. Nora wrapped her arms around her husband’s neck and kissed him back. The six others cheered and Nora and Ray finally broke the kiss.

“Mr. and Mrs. Ray and Nora Palmer everyone!” Iris announced.

That was when they got covered in silly string.

Somehow, someway, Mona and Zari managed to hide small cans of silly string in their bouquets and Nate and Sara pulled them out of their jacket pockets.

Ray and Nora laughed as they were showered in the silly string trying to pull it off each other as it fell but only more got in harder to reach places.

Best. Wedding. Ever.

xxxx

They had the reception set up in the bonus room of Ray’s house, it wasn’t big but could hold an extra ten people or so in addition to the eight that were at the wedding. They had their cake in the corner on a table, a table for the wedding party along one wall and the rest was the dance floor which had only really been modified by putting speakers loud enough to fill the room with music.

Ray and Nora were making the rounds to the people that weren’t in attendance, hugging Amaya and Charlie as well as Ava who was having a hard time doing anything other than staring at Sara in her tux. They made their way to Barry and Iris and Nora teased that they should be next and thanked Iris for officiating. They chatted with the Lance family who came back just for the wedding reception, still a little shocked that so much had changed when they were gone.

Nora was exhausted by the time they greeted everyone but she knew they still had their first dance to do as well as Ray’s dance with his mom. He offered to just skip it since the wedding had been small and didn’t want Nora to feel left out since she wouldn’t have a father to do a father-daughter dance with but she had waved him off, telling him he’d only get to do this once because she wasn’t marrying him a second time.

They took their place in the middle of the room and the music floated softly through the speakers. It had been a favorite song of Nora’s for years, always making her feel mushy inside at the prospect of having a love like the one described in the song. It was all about being there for your partner. Through thick and thin. And that was exactly what Nora wanted for her and Ray’s marriage.

Their foreheads were pressed together, he still had to stoop some but her heels afforded her and extra boost in height so it wasn’t totally awkward.

“Can you believe we’re really married?” Nora whispered. “Like really, really married!”

Ray grinned. “Yeah, I mean I’ve only been dreaming about it since I was like five.”

Nora giggled and kissed him softly. “You have not.”

“No really I have! I saw Cinderella and watched her get married at the end and was like wow can that be me and Nora?”

Nora shook her head. “You are such a hopeless romantic and I love you for it, my husband.”

Ray tightened his arms around her waist as they swayed to the music. “Yeah well, I’m going to continue to be a hopeless romantic for the rest of our lives, my wife.”

They continued to dance around the room until the song faded away and Ray dipped Nora at the very end, amusing everyone. Nora kissed him when he brought her back up. She broke away and let Ray dance with his mom.

Nora went over to Mona and Zari and hugged them both. “Thank you all so much for being here with me, it means so much to me that you’re here and supporting us.”

“No problem, _Nora Palmer_.” Mona emphasized and grinned.

Nora saw Zari staring across the room and she followed the gaze over to Charlie. Nora nudged her and whispered, “after Ray and his mom are done, the dance floor will be open and you can totally go ask Charlie to dance."

“Me? What? No… I am so… not staring at her wow is it that obvious?”

Nora nodded. “I know what love looks like, given since you know, I just married the love of my life.”

Zari shook her head. “You are turning into as much of a sap as Palmer is.”

“Well I guess that makes sense since I am a Palmer now.” Nora held up her left hand and wiggled her ring finger.

Zari laughed. “Wow you guys will be so nauseating. More than you already are.”

“You bet your ass we will.” Nora nudged her as the mother-son dance ended and pop music started up. “Go get your girl!”

Zari shook her head. “No, Nora, please don’t make me!” Zari had very little threat in her voice but she still wasn’t sure if she could do this.

Nora shoved Zari in Charlie’s direction. “Don’t come back over here unless you’ve asked her to dance!”

Nora watched Zari stumble and trip in her heels which she heard Zari curse Nora for and nearly tripped right into Charlie’s arms.

“Umm… hey… wanna umm dance?” Zari asked awkwardly.

Charlie chuckled. “Can you in those heels? Should I be afraid?”

Zari rolled her eyes and kicked off her heels. “Not at all, which is why they’re now going in the trash can.” She laughed.

“Well in that case, I’d love to dance, let’s go!” Charlie dragged Zari out onto the dance floor and started dancing with her. Zari wasn’t sure what to do with herself but tried to focus on Charlie instead of probably how she looked like a drunk giraffe. She glanced behind Charlie and saw Ray dragging Nora out to the dance floor and grinned at how happy they were. She was so happy for her friends, finding each other, finding love, she wanted that one day. Her eyes settled back on Charlie who looked really really good in the animal print bodycon dress and tried to not let herself get in a tizzy over it.

“You look nice,” Zari said.

Charlie smiled and moved to the beat. “Thanks, you too, I thought it was supposed to be distasteful if a bridesmaid outshined the bride on her wedding day.”

Zari blushed. “Funny but I think Nora looks like the most beautiful bride and I definitely didn’t outshine her.”

“I think that might be a matter of opinion.” Charlie looped an arm through Zari’s and spun her around. The song ended and it moved into a slower song. Zari was about to exit the dance floor until the music picked up again but Charlie kept her hold on Zari’s arm. “Hey, stay.”

Something in the way Charlie said ‘stay’ made Zari’s body move on autopilot. She turned and gently removed her arm from Charlie’s grasp and then wrapped her arms around the other’s girl’s neck.

“Stay… like as in this?” She said as they began to sway to the slow song.

Charlie smiled and nodded, wrapping her arm around Zari’s waist. “That’s exactly what I had in mind.”

Nora looked over at Charlie and Zari and nudged Ray. “Look! Honestly besides you becoming my husband, that’s what makes this day worth it.” She grinned. “Those two are finally making progress instead of staring longingly at each other from across the classroom.”

Ray chuckled and kissed his wife softly. “Yeah you’re right. I hope everyone in this room can have what we have one day. Being with you has changed my life.”

“Mine too.” She leaned up and kissed him again. “Mine too…”

xxxx

It was time for the bouquet toss. Nora was probably the most excited about it. She had a plan. A very sneaky plan to only further one she had set in motion earlier that night. She rallied for all of the single ladies to gather behind her which was basically most of the room. She turned around, shuffling a bit with Ray’s guidance and tossed it in the air, hard.

She turned around, hoping that her plan had worked and it had. Zari was smacked right in the face with the bouquet. She immediately hugged her and smiled. “Well you know what that means!”

Zari sputtered, “I’m not next… I don’t plan to be next for like at least five years.” She shook her head and looked over at Charlie who had a knowing smile. “But maybe moving a little closer to being next wouldn’t hurt.” She broke away from the hug and went over to Charlie.

“I see you caught the bouquet.” The Brit smiled.

“Yeah, I think my catching it was a bit premeditated but I don’t think I’d be able to do this if it weren’t for that.” Zari said and pulled Charlie in for a quick kiss.

Charlie pulled back, slightly stunned. “I never thought you’d be the one to make the first move, Tomaz, but I’m glad you did.”

Nora cheered watching the exchange between her friends. This was going to be a day she never forgot.

xxxx

Nate had caught the garter, much to Amaya’s amusement. Ray and Nora shoved cake in each other’s faces, and now their friends were all quietly filing out of Ray’s house. Ray’s tux jacket was over Nora’s shoulders as they said goodbye to their friends. Tomorrow they would check into a hotel for three days and have a bit of a staycation honeymoon. They didn’t really want or need to go anywhere fancy, but three days to just not worry about anything else other than enjoying each other was definitely appealing.

Sandy volunteered to stay with a friend of hers so they could have the house to themselves for their wedding night and Nora had originally wanted to decline Sandy’s offer but with how good Nora kept imaging Ray would look in a tux, she agreed. She wasn’t sure that sleeping in the same bed with her now husband she’d be able to contain herself.

The door closed behind Ray and Nora, now the only two people in the house. Nora bubbled with anticipation of where she knew the night would eventually lead.

“So… what would you like to do now?” Ray asked.

“Umm other than have sex with you?” Nora covered her mouth. “I mean… I’m sorry that was so forward. If you’re not ready we don’t have to…”

Ray chuckled and rubbed her arms. “It’s fine. We’re married now and that’s a very married thing for us to do. Why don’t I get the fireplace going and we can just talk and see where our night leads?”

Nora nodded. “Okay, lets go change first.” She led him down the hallway to his room and sat on the bed. She started taking all of the pins out of her hair and scrubbed her scalp. Much better. She looked up at Ray who was unbuttoning his shirt and she couldn’t stop herself from staring after that. She’d seen him shirtless, basically everything but completely naked. He’d seen her basically down to a bra and panties. Nora walked over to Ray and put her hands on his chest once it was exposed under his unbuttoned shirt. She looked up at him and smiled.

“Will you help me out of my dress?” She asked with a knowing smile.

Ray nodded and reached around for the zipper of the dress and pulled it down. Nora held the limp dress against her body, wanting to change into lingerie she had bought for this specific occasion and surprise him with the full expanse of her body. She kissed him sweetly and told him to get changed into something more comfortable and she would do the same. She rummaged through her suitcase for a small pink striped bag and took it out. She sauntered down the hallway and told him to start the fire once he was dressed before disappearing into the bathroom.

Ray’s throat went dry. Nora would be the death of him. Ray quickly changed into just a pair of sweatpants and boxers and went out to the living room. He laid a thick soft throw in front of the fireplace and started the fire. He was stoking it to life when he heard someone clear their throat behind him. He turned around and saw Nora wandering into the living room in white teddy. The gown was silk so it was hard to really see anything but he figured it wouldn’t be long before he would. It only came to mid thighs which is how, upon seeing his reaction Nora charged at him and hopped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist with ease.

“Mmm hi husband, miss me?” She grinned.

“I umm wow yes.” He kept her steady in his arms and gently sat down on the floor. He laid her back and watched her hair fan out.

Nora reached out for him and pulled him in for a kiss. She ran her hands over his back, thoroughly pleased that he subtly not so subtly has been bulking up since she reunited with him back in August. Nora loved the feeling of his strong arms around her, holding her close, and now she wanted to hold onto them as he made love to her.

They knew it would be awkward and probably not last very long. They knew that it may even hurt for Nora but they also knew they hadn’t been more sure of anything other than choosing to marry each other that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.... there's that! We're going to start chapter 14 off with a bang! If you know what I mean ;)


End file.
